__________A NEWSLETTER OF UNDERSTANDINg the TIMES

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VOL.1 NO.2 1 WATCH (JAN. - MAR.) 2009

Could Jesus Come

Tonight?

I
t was the last night of the revival. The congregation was softly singing: "Just as I am,"
and the preacher was standing in front of the pulpit with both arms raised in
invitation. He knew there were people present who needed to make a decision for
Christ. "Jesus Christ could come tonight," he urged. "Will you be ready for Him?"

I was just a boy at the time, but it made a profound impression on me. In fact, when I saw my first aurora borealis, it nearly scared
me to death. I was sure Jesus was coming after all, and I knew for a certainty I was not ready for it. But, of course, Jesus did not
come that night or any other night in the past fifty years. Looking back, I wonder why it took me so long to question what the
preacher said.

Of course, among those who believe in the return of Christ, most simply take it for granted that His return could take place at any
moment. But is that true? Is it possible that you might step out the front door of your home tonight, see a bright light in the sky, and
suddenly realize that Jesus is returning, and He is returning now?

After all, Jesus did promise to return.

He said, "And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you may be
also" (John 14:3 RSV).

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Later, when Jesus had ascended into heaven leaving His
disciples gazing upward, two men stood by them in white
robes, and said,
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you unto heaven, will come
in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
So Jesus will return, but could it be tonight? Is it something
that could happen to us without a hint, or are there prophecies
that give us a warning of Christ's impending return? Does the
Bible reveal anything that must take place before the return of
Christ? If there are specific, observable events that precede His
return, and those events have not taken place, then how can we
believe that Jesus could literally come tonight?
Fortunately, the prophecies of Christ's return are well known
and easily understood. They tell us in surprisingly plain
language what is going to happen in the last days. Why then
should we be in doubt?
Take for example Paul's teaching on the resurrection. He wrote
to the Thessalonians,
"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who
fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe
that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in
him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we
who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep" (I
Thessalonians 4:13-15 NIV).
Notice that Paul takes for granted the "coming of the Lord."
And what does he say is to happen at Jesus' coming?
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The coming of Christ, then, is hardly a secret event. A
shout comes from heaven with the voice of an archangel, and a
great trumpet is blown. It is a time of the resurrection of the
dead and a time when the living saints are caught up to meet
Jesus Christ in the air! It would be hard to keep this event a
secret. After all, every living Christian has either disappeared,
or gone straight up in the air!
Explaining this same event in a different letter, Paul gives us a
few more details:
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trump shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall
be changed" (I Corinthians 15:50-52).
Now we know that the living are not only to be caught up to
meet the Lord, but that they will be changed. We now learn
that this is not just any "trumpet of God" that is blown,
but the last trumpet. For it to be the last trumpet, there must
be trumpets that go before it.
If that's the case, then there is a series of "trumpets" that
precede the return of Christ! Can these trumpets be perceived
by men? Are these signs of Christ's imminent return? If they
are, and they have not taken place, then how could Jesus Christ
come tonight?
The Olivet Prophecy
Jesus' disciples clearly expected that there would be some prior
indication that Jesus' return was imminent. When He spoke to
them of the destruction of the temple, the disciples came to
Him privately on the Mount of Olives and asked Him,
"Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the
sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matthew
24:3).
Then follows Jesus' most comprehensive prophecy of the
events of the last days. Naturally, then, we would expect some
reference to the resurrection, the gathering of the saints, and
the trumpet of which Paul spoke.
You'll find that reference in verses 30 and 31:
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a
great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other."
Now we have put together several prophecies which outline a
sequence of events at the end time. Putting them together, we
get a fairly comprehensive picture of the events that coincide
with the return of Christ. There is to be a shout of the
archangel, the sounding of a trumpet, a general resurrection of
the dead, and a reunion in the clouds of both living and dead in
Christ. At this point, those "in Christ" are no longer flesh and
blood but are changed into incorruptible spirit beings (I
Corinthians 15:50-52).
Now we are in a position to add one more important prophecy
to this grouping.
Seven Trumpets
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There is only one place in the Bible where a sequence of
trumpets is described--the book of Revelation. It is a sequence
of seven trumpets and the last trumpet is described in
Revelation 11:15,
"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were
great voices in heaven, saying The kingdoms of
this world are become the kingdoms of our
Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for
ever and ever."
Now we know a bit more about the return of
Christ. Not only is there a shout and a trumpet,
but there is a proclamation of the beginning of
His kingdom. It is a time to destroy those that
destroyed the earth and a time for rewarding His
resurrected saints (Revelation 11:16-18).
Now what does the book of Revelation tell us will take
place immediately prior to the return of Christ? If we start
with the return of Christ, the last trumpet, and the
resurrection, and then work our way backward in time, what
do we find? Are there any prophesied events which must take
place before the return of Christ?
Take a careful look at the eleventh chapter of Revelation.
Verse 15 describes the seventh trumpet. Why not start at the
beginning of the chapter and see what happens just before the
seventh trumpet?
At this point in John's vision, he is given a measuring reed and
instructed to measure the temple, the altar, and the worshipers.
He is instructed to omit measuring the outer court,
"for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they
tread under foot forty and two months" (Revelation 11:2).
This is a highly significant prophecy. It is, for example,
possible to infer the existence of a temple prior to the return of
Christ. There are indications in Daniel, for example, that the
daily sacrifice will be reinstated at some time prior to the
return of Christ (Daniel 12:11). Of course, other
interpretations have been offered.
Of special interest is the last half of Revelation 11:2:
"and the holy city shall they [the Gentiles] tread under thy foot
forty and two months."
Here is a strong indication that Jerusalem will be an occupied
city for three and one half years prior to the seventh trumpet.
Its occupation by the Gentiles is considered an unnatural state.
Presumably it is not occupied by these people before the three
and one half year period or after it.
Jesus spoke of this time in the Olivet prophecy. Answering His
disciples' questions about His coming and the end of the age,
Jesus said,
"And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,
then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Then let them which are in Judea flee to the
mountains...For these be the days of
vengeance...for there shall be great distress in
the land, and wrath upon this people. And they
shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be
led away captive into all nations: and
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the
Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled" (Luke 21:20-24).
Putting the Olivet prophecy together with the
beginning of Revelation 11, we learn that for a forty-two
month period of time prior to Christ's return, Jerusalem is
"trodden down of the Gentiles." This three and one-half year
period is called "the times of the Gentiles." The immediate
warning of the beginning of this three and one-half year period
is "Jerusalem compassed with armies."
There are some very specific events which must take place,
and a specific period which must elapse in the time
immediately preceding the return of Christ. Now let's return to
the eleventh chapter of Revelation. Immediately following
His statement about the Gentiles, God told John,
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall
prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days,
clothed in sackcloth."
Once again we have a specific time period and specific events
that must take place just before the seventh trumpet. Once
again we have a three and one-half year time period. In the
absence of any evidence to the contrary, there's a strong
presumption that the times of the Gentiles and the time of
the two witnesses coincide.
The work of the two witnesses is dramatic to say the least. In
the manner of Elijah, they are able to call down fire out of
heaven and consume their enemies, as well as to close the
heavens that it doesn't rain during the days of their prophecies.
They can turn water into blood and smite the earth with
plagues as often as they wish. At the end of their three and
one-half year ministry, the beast of Revelation 13 will kill
them,
"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,
which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our
Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and
tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and
a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in
graves" (Revelation 11:8-9).
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All of this takes place immediately prior to the return of
Christ. Three and one half days after the two witnesses are
killed, they are raised from the dead and caught up into the
air. Coincidentally there is a great earthquake which is
immediately followed by the seventh trumpet (verses 11-
15).
How could we construct a theory of prophecy that would allow
the return of Christ without this taking place and without the
whole world knowing about it?
Six Trumpets
The first six trumpets are described in the eighth and ninth
chapters of Revelation. The eighth chapter begins with the
opening of the seventh and last seal followed by a short period
of silence. Then John saw seven angels standing before God
and to them were given seven trumpets (verse 2).
The angels then sound their trumpets in sequence. When the
first angel sounded,
"There followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they
were cast upon the earth: And the third part of trees were
burnt, and all green grass was burnt up" (verse 7).
Then the second angel sounded his trumpet,
"...and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast
into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And
the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had
life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed"
(verses 8 and 9).
Could this be a completely metaphorical, secret, unknown
event?
These are ecological events of such magnitude that no one
can overlook them.
Remember that the last trumpet and the return of Christ follow
in close sequence the events described in the first six trumpets!
When the third trumpet is sounded a great star named
wormwood falls on the rivers of waters and a third part of
them are made poison (verse 10, 11). The fourth angel sounds
his trumpet and a third part of the sun goes dark, an third part
of the moon, and a third part of the stars.
Then an angel flies through the midst of the heaven,
"...saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters
of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the
three angels, which are yet to sound!" (verse 13).
This introduces the "three woes." They consist of the fifth,
sixth, and seventh trumpets. A careful study of the fifth and
sixth trumpets (Revelation 9:1-21), reveals war of mind-
boggling proportions. Read it carefully and see if you can
reason how the return of Christ could take place without our
being aware of the events described in this chapter! This is the
ultimate war. This is the war which, if Jesus did not intervene
with the third woe to stop it, would mean, quite literally, the
end of the world.
In the Olivet prophecy, Jesus spoke of such a time. He said,
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened"
(Matthew 24:21, 22).
Does that sound a little far-fetched to you? After all, could
there be a war so extensive that it endangered all flesh?
There was a time when we might have denied it, but with
the advent of nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare the
ability to destroy all life is well within the grasp of the great
powers.
The Sixth Trumpet
But since we're looking at the period just before Jesus' return,
let's pause and look carefully at the sixth trumpet. The record is
found beginning in Revelation 9:13,
"And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the
four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to
the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels
which are bound in the great River Euphrates. And the four
angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a
day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two
hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of
them" (Revelation (9:13-16).
This is the sixth trumpet--the second woe. Here we deal with
something very specific that is to happen in a very specific
period of time. We are also dealing with an army of very
specific size--two hundred million men! In the specific time of
one year, one month, one day, and one hour, one-third of the
earth's population will be slain! This is to take place just before
the return of Jesus Christ!
Do you still believe that Jesus Christ might come tonight?
Remember, Jesus called this a time of great tribulation
(Matthew 24:21). Many prophets speak of a unique time in
human history called the time of "Jacob's trouble." They
repeatedly refer to it as a time unlike any other time in the
history of man. It is this time of which Jesus speaks.
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It is Christ's return at the last trump that shortens these days. It
is called the third "woe" because the last trumpet introduces
the seven vials of God's wrath (Revelation 16).
But as we're working our way back in time from the return of
Christ, we might as well look at the first woe, the fifth trumpet.
"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from
heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the
bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there
arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace;
and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke
of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the
earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the
earth have power. And it was commanded them that they
should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing,
neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of
God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they
should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five
months: and their torment is as the torment of a scorpion,
when he striketh a man" (Revelation 9:1-5).
What does this describe? Is this chemical warfare--nerve gas,
perhaps? It is something which apparently does not harm
buildings or plant life but puts a human being in incredible
agony. Notice again that there is a specific period of time
involved--five months (verse 5).
Now we've worked our way back eighteen months, one day,
and one hour prior to the return of Christ. We also have
specific things that are to take place during that period of
time.
Do you still believe that Jesus might come tonight?
And remember there are four trumpets before these!
There are no specific times laid out for the first four trumpets.
In all probability all seven trumpets make a total of forty-two
months or twelve hundred and sixty days, or three and one-half
years.
Who is Protected?
Take a look at the fifth trumpet again. When this trumpet is
blown a smoking abyss is opened, and "locusts" come out
upon the earth. But these are not just any locust. They have
power like scorpions have power.
The "locusts" were commanded
"that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any
green thing, neither any trees; but only those men which have
not the seal of God in their foreheads" (Revelation 9:4).
Who, in contrast, are the people who have the "seal of God" in
their foreheads? They are obviously living human beings who
for some reason have been designated by God to be protected
from all these things.
These people are described a little earlier in the book of
Revelation. In Revelation 6 we find the opening of six seals.
The seventh seal (Revelation 8:1), will introduce the seven
trumpets. But immediately after the opening of the seventh
seal there is a pause. At this moment John sees another angel
ascending from the east "having the seal of the living God"
(Revelation 7:2).
"He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was
given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth,
neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants
of our God in their foreheads" (Revelation 7:2, 3).
None of this is hard to follow. The earth is headed into a time
of trouble and God wants His servants to be protected from the
horrors of that holocaust.
But there's a peculiarity about these "servants of God." First,
there are one hundred and forty-four thousand of them--twelve
thousand each from "the tribes of the children of Israel"
(Revelation 7:4).
Why are there no Gentiles in this group? Some have assumed
the Gentiles are included in the innumerable multitude
described in Revelation 7:9. But the scripture does not say that
the innumerable multitude of people are sealed. It is only the
one hundred and forty-four thousand who are sealed (verses 3,
4).
Why are there no Gentiles sealed? The answer is deceptively
simple. We are in a time the Bible calls "the great tribulation."
Notice Jesus' own description of this time:
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
except those days be shortened, there should be no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened"
(Matthew 24:21, 22).
So if there was no greater tribulation before this time and there
would never be greater tribulation after this time, then we have
clearly pinpointed a unique event in all of history.
This same time is further identified by Jeremiah;
"Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: It is even
the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
Notice that the time of Jacob's trouble is also a great tribulation
and that it is unique in all of history. Obviously the prophets
are talking about the same period of time.
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That means that the "great tribulation" of Jesus' prophecies is
the same time identified by Jeremiah as the time of Jacob's
trouble (remember that Jacob's name was changed to Israel).
Therefore, it makes sense that those who are protected from
that tribulation are members of the twelve tribes of Israel who
are "servants of God." There is no need to seal Gentile servants
of God, for the great tribulation is not upon Gentile countries,
but upon Israel.
Returning again to the Olivet prophecy, Jesus warned,
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,
then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them
which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them
which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are
in the countries enter there into. For these be the days of
vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give
suck, in those days! For there shall be great distress in the land,
and wrath upon this people" (Luke 21:20-23).
Notice that Jesus said wrath would be upon this people. This
isn't going to happen every place in the world at this moment.
It isn't necessary for those living in Germany or Austria to flee.
It isn't necessary for those in Brazil or Argentina to flee. It is
necessary for those who are in Judea to get out. Moments
before the actual entry of the beast power into Jerusalem is
the beginning of a three and one-half year period of serious
tribulation in Israel.
Jesus continued to say,
"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led
away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden
down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled" (verse 24).
The Abomination of Desolation
There is one other sign for those living in Judea. Jesus
continued,
"When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whose readeth let him understand), then let them which be in
Judea flee into the mountains" (Matthew 24:15).
This is an urgent warning. Jesus told them that if they were
on the housetop not to come down to take anything out of their
house, but to step to the roof of the next house and to follow
the highway of the roof tops right out of town. If they were in
the field, they were not to return for clothing, food, or anything
else. They were just supposed to stop whatever they were
doing and quietly walk over the next hill and down the next
valley and get away. But this warning is only for those living
in and around Jerusalem.
Of this time Jesus said,
"But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
Sabbath day: for then shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, not ever
shall be" (Matthew 24:20).
Jesus continued to warn,
"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or
there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and
false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, behold He is in the
desert; go not forth: behold He is in the secret chamber;
believe it not. For as the lightning comes out of the east, and
shines even to the west; so also shall the coming of the Son of
man be" (Matthew 24:22-26).
There is no surprise here. It's obvious that when a great power
arises, enters Jerusalem, and places the abomination of
desolation, many will start claiming that the return of Christ is
at hand. Jesus tells us there will even be people claiming that
Christ has already come. His reply? Don't believe it. He is
saying there will be no doubt in our mind when He returns.
You will not be standing around asking "Well, has He or
hasn't He?" When Jesus returns, you will know it.
But just what is this "abomination of the desolation spoken
of by Daniel the prophet"?
Until Jesus made this statement, His disciples, like other Jews,
thought the "abomination of desolation" was already history.
And indeed it was. Jesus was referring to Daniel 11:31,
"and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take
away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination
that maketh desolate."
These prophecies of Daniel were fulfilled in one Antiochus IV
who was surnamed "Epiphanes."
Antiochus, also "the king of the north" in this prophecy, had as
his goal the Hellenization of every part of his dominions. In
about 170 B.C., Antiochus marched to Jerusalem and
"plundered the city and temple with every circumstance of
cruelty and profanation, and slew or enslaved great numbers of
the inhabitants. For three years and a half they were altogether
deprived of their civil and religious liberties. The daily
sacrifice was prohibited, and upon the altar of burnt offering a
small altar to Jupiter Capitolinus was erected. On the twenty-
fifth of Chisleu (December), 168, the desecration was
consummated in the offering of a sow upon the great altar, and
a sprinkling of the liquor in which a portion of it had been
boiled over the copies of the Law and every available part of
the temple. Such was the ‘abomination of desolation,' which
became proverbial; (Daniel 9:27, 12:11, Matthew 24:15,
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Mark 13:14)" (The Bible Handbook, by Joseph Angus, page
603).
While Daniel's prophecy clearly designates Antiochus
Epiphanes, the prophecy is just as clearly designated for the
end time. It is a dual prophecy, and Antiochus is only a type of
one who is to come in the end time. A careful study of Daniel
11 and 12 will make this quite clear.
After a very uncomplimentary description of the one who is to
place the abomination of desolation, Daniel tells us,
"And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at
him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a
whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many
ships...He shall enter also in the glorious land..." (Daniel
11:40-41).
This is the time when Jerusalem shall be encompassed about
with armies and eventually occupied. Daniel continues,
"And he [the king of the north, the latter day "Antiochus"]
shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the
glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none
shall help him" (Daniel 11:45).
The first verse of chapter 12 also helps us to identify the time
setting of this prophecy:
"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 trouble such as never was since there was a nation
even to that same time..."
We have come once again to the "time of Jacob's trouble", the
Great Tribulation. And bear in mind, all this takes place before
the return of Christ!
The Day of the Lord
There is yet one more key to understanding the events of the
last days.
Over and over again the prophets develop a theme called
"the day of the Lord." Just how many times in history can
there be a "day of the Lord"? Is it a unique time in all of
history? Indeed many prophets speak of this time. Did they
understand it the same way? Did the phrase "day of the Lord"
mean the same thing to Isaiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Joel,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Malachi, and Paul? All these
prophets use that phrase.
Take Isaiah, for example. Speaking of the "day of the Lord,"
he warned:
"Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the
Lord, and for the glory of His majesty...For the day of the Lord
of hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and
upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low"
(Isaiah 2:10-12).
This is clearly the same time spoken of by John when he
wrote:
"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich
men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the dens and
in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and
rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth
on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great
day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
(Revelation 6:15-17).
This last citation from the book of Revelation occurs in the
midst of the sixth seal of John's prophecy. What Isaiah calls
the day of the Lord, John calls "the great day of His wrath."
Isaiah continues his prophecy by saying,
"And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the
haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone
shall be exalted in that day...And they shall go into the holes of
the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord,
and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake
terribly the earth" (Isaiah 2:17-19).
A careful look at the sixth seal in Revelation 6 reveals yet
another parallel. John says,
"And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, lo, there was
a great earthquake" (verse 12).
Clearly then the sixth seal of Revelation 6 introduces that
unique time in all history called "the day of the Lord." It is a
time of a great earthquake, a time when
"the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree
casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty
wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled
together; and every mountain and island was moved out of
their places" (Revelation 6:12-14).
While Isaiah knows nothing of a series of "seals," he clearly
prophesies the same time spoken of by John. Isaiah 2, then, is
for the last days.
Isaiah does not refer to the heavenly signs in his second
chapter, but he has more to say about the day of the Lord
elsewhere.
In chapter 13, we read:
"Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a
destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be
7
faint and every man's heart shall melt...Behold, the day of the
Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and with fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate: And He shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations
thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in
his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to
shine" (verses 6-10).
Clearly Isaiah is talking about the same time described by John
as the opening of the sixth seal. Interestingly enough, this
particular prophecy of Isaiah is directed at Babylon and
forecast the ultimate fall of the end-time antitype of that
corrupt city (verses 19-22).
Isaiah finds yet another occasion to mention the day of the
Lord, this time in connection with the judgment of Edom. Here
he refers to the host of the heavens being dissolved, rolled
together like a scroll, and all the starry hosts falling down like
leaves from trees as Edom comes to it ultimate judgment. It is
here called "the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of
recompenses for the controversy of Zion" (Isaiah 34:4-8).
Joel
Joel begins his prophecy with dire warnings of plagues, war,
and famine (compare with the first four seals of Revelation
6).
Then he cries, "Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at
hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come"
(Joel 1:14-15).
Once again we find a strong connection between an Old
Testament prophet and the ultimate revelation of John.
Joel, however adds a familiar theme to his prophecy.
Beginning in chapter 2 we read:
"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy
mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day
of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness
and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness as the
morning spread on the mountains: a great people and a strong;
there has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after
it, even to the years of many generations."
Later he will describe this devouring army as having the
appearance of horses.
Now take a look at Revelation 9, beginning in verse 1. Here
we have the fifth trumpet of Revelation (Joel started his
prophecy with the words "blow ye the trumpet in Zion"). In
John's prophecy we are told that when the fifth angel sounded
his trumpet, an abyss was opened and the smoke darkened the
sun and the air (compare Revelation 9:2 with Joel 2:2).
John tells us the shape of the locusts were like horses prepared
to battle (verse 5 with Joel 2:4). By Joel's reckoning, then, the
day of the Lord is ushered in with the sixth seal of
Revelation 6, and continues on through the trumpets of
Revelation 8 and 9.
To further clarify the time,
Joel continues, "The earth shall
quake before them; the heavens
shall tremble: the sun and the
moon shall be dark, and the
stars shall withdraw their
shining: And the Lord shall
utter His voice before His
army: for His camp is very
great: for he is strong that executeth His Word: for the day of
the Lord is great and very terrible: who can abide it?" (Joel
2:10-11).
There is an interesting sequel to Joel's prophecy. The latter part
of this chapter contains a summation by Joel of what God will
do at the very end time when the day of the Lord comes. This
prophecy was cited verbatim by Peter in his sermon on the day
of Pentecost.
He said, "These are not drunken as you suppose, seeing that it
is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last
days saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and
your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams"
(Acts 2:13-14).
The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on that Pentecost Peter saw
as a type of the fulfillment of God's promises through Joel.
But Peter went on,
"And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the
earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun
shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
that great and notable day of the Lord come" (verses 19 and
20).
Clearly Peter saw that the "Day of the Lord" had not yet
occurred.
Zephaniah
Now let's take a look at how Zephaniah saw the day of the
Lord:
"The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth
greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: and mighty man
shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of
trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day
8
of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick
darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced
cities and against the high towers...Neither their silver and
their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's
wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His
jealousy..." (Zephaniah 1:14-18).
The prophet Jeremiah, not to be left out, includes a reference
to the day of the Lord in his prophecy against Egypt. In the
middle of his prophecy of the destruction of Egypt, he
thunders,
"For this is the day of the Lord of hosts, a day of vengeance,
that He may avenge Him of His adversaries: and the sword
shall devour, and it shall be satiate and drunk with their blood;
for the Lord God of hosts has a sacrifice in the north country
by the river Euphrates" (Jeremiah 46:10).
There is an interesting parallel here with Isaiah 34. Here also
the day of the Lord is connected with what the prophet calls a
"sacrifice." The language of both these prophecies is strongly
suggestive of the battle of Armageddon and the "supper of the
great God" (Revelation 19:17-21).
Ezekiel refers to the day of the Lord as "the time of the
heathen" (Ezekiel 30:3). By that he means that it is a day when
the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in
Ethiopia, etc. (verse 4).
Amos also speaks of the day of the Lord saying,
"Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is
it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not
light...Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light?
And even very dark and no brightness in it?" (Amos 5:18-20).
Malachi adds a new dimension quoting God as saying,
"Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming
of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: He shall turn the
heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children
to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse"
(Malachi 4:5-6).
Paul adds yet a new dimension to it when he says,
"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need
that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the
day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when
they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and
they shall not escape" (I Thessalonians 5:1-3).
Notice it's not the return of Christ that Paul is talking about,
but the day of the Lord, which begins months before the return
of Christ.
But having given his warning, Paul continues:
"But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should
overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of light, and
the children of the day: we are not of the night nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be
sober...For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 5:4-9).
Indeed, with all the prophetic warnings God has sent us, it
would be a disgrace for any Christian to be caught totally
unawares by the day of the Lord or the return of Christ.
An Act of Salvation
To many of those who believe in the return of Christ, however
fervently, His return is seen as a random event. It is as though
God has set an alarm clock in heaven and has kept the exact
day and hour a secret from anyone but Himself. When the
alarm clock goes off, the angels are gathered together, the
trumpet is blown, and the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are
loosed. All this irrespective of what is going on down here on
God's green earth.
The Bible presents a very different picture. Jesus' return is
shown to be the culmination of a series of cataclysmic events.
The return of Christ is shown to be an act of salvation. Man is
just about to destroy himself from the face of the planet, and
Christ intervenes to bring human warmongering to an end.
Why, then, have so many misunderstood? Probably because
they have seen the seven last trumpets as acts of God. In a
sense they are, but notice carefully what actually happens
when each trumpet is blown. Take the fifth trumpet, for
example. When the fifth angel sounds his trumpet, John sees a
star falling from heaven to the earth:
"and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he
opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the
pit as the smoke of a great furnace...And there came out of the
smoke locusts upon the earth" (Revelation 9:1-3).
Notice that the only act of God is the warning of a trumpet and
the unlocking of something previously confined. What John
then sees in vision is not an act of God, but an act of human
war–a war previously restrained, but now released.
Notice the sixth trumpet. When the sixth angel had sounded,
John heard a voice saying,
"Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river
Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were
prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to
slay the third part of men" (Revelation 9:13-15).
Once again, the only act of God is the sounding of a trumpet
and the releasing of something previously restrained. Even the
9
first four trumpets may easily be acts of human warfare, and
the sounding of the trumpet is merely the "alarm of war," as it
is so aptly described in Old Testament literature.
According to Paul, even the man of sin is restrained for a time
and only released or revealed to the world when his time is
come (II Thessalonians 2:6-8).
What is especially interesting about this prophecy is that Paul
clearly tells us that the revelation of this "man of sin" must take
place before the return of Christ. In writing to the
Thessalonians he said, "Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed" (II Thessalonians 2:3-
4).
The return of Christ is not a random, meaningless event,
unrelated to anything taking place here on earth. God has been
watching and restraining the evil of men from the days of the
tower of Babel until now. Even at this moment evil demonic
forces would destroy God's handiwork, the world and
everything in it, if they were not restrained.
When the decision is made for Christ to return, the war to end
all wars is imminent. The destruction of all flesh is at hand. It
is at that moment that Jesus Christ will take His great power,
will return to the earth in wrath, will raise the dead, give
reward to His servants, and destroy them who are destroying
the earth (Revelation 11:18).
Be Ready
With all these clear statements in prophecy, why did Jesus say,
"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come" (Matthew 24:42).
If indeed the prophecies are true, how is it possible for Jesus'
disciples to be so surprised? Jesus continued, "Therefore be
ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son
of man cometh." How can this be?
Remember that although there are supernatural events
described in the book of Revelation, none of these supernatural
events may be apparent to the eyes of men. All the disasters,
Q &A: When will the Great Tribulation occur? Will it be BEFORE or
AFTER Jesus returns to earth?
Q. When will be the Great Tribulation? Will it be BEFORE or AFTER Jesus returns? (Submitted by: T.D.)
all the wars, will appear to the eyes of men to be humanly
induced, One man may see a missile falling from the heavens
as a fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation, while another
man may not. Even with all theses cataclysmic events, there
will still be room to doubt whether prophecy is truly being
fulfilled in theses events! No human being will ever be able to
be certain of the day and hour of Jesus Christ's return. But
Paul's warning is still cogent: "But you are not in darkness
brethren that that day should overtake you as a thief"
The purpose of the prophecies is not to enable us to date the
return of Christ, but to help us to understand the meaning of
the return of Christ.
What, then, is a Christian to do? Listen to Jesus' answer,
"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath
made rule over his household, to give them meat in due
season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when He
cometh shall find so doing" (Matthew 24:45-46).
Whatever your calling, whatever your mission, whatever it is
that God has given you to do, He expects to find you doing it
when He returns. That is how you are "ready."
So you see, whether or not Jesus Christ could return tonight is
irrelevant for you. As far as you personally are concerned,
today is all you have to work with. You must be ready today,
for you may not have tomorrow.
The Son of man could indeed come for you tonight, even
though He does not come for the rest of the world.
So in one sense of the word, the preacher was right. Jesus
Christ could return tonight ... for you.
And He asked a very relevant question: "Will you be ready
for Him?"
by Ronald L. Dart, Evangelist
Christian Educational Ministries,
P.O. Box 560
Whitehouse, Texas 75791
Phone: (903) 509-2999
1-888-BIBLE-44
Fax: (903) 509-1139
10
A. Trying to figure out what is going on in the Book of Revelation can be frustrating. We can gain a better understanding of
Revelation by looking at Jesus' "Olivet prophecy" recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. This prophecy is rather
long, so for reference I've included some of the most important scriptures relative to your question from the Matthew 24
account of Jesus' words. For study purposes I suggest reading the full accounts in all three books.

"And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of
the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here
one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came
unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the
end of the world?

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not
troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these
are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated
of all nations for my name’s sake. . . .

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy
place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: . . . . For then
shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be
shortened.

"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers;
believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming
of the Son of man be. . . . Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And
then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they
shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other. " (Matthew 24:1-9, 15-16, 21-22, 26-27, 29-31)

In the Olivet prophecy Jesus provides us with a basic outline of the events leading up to His second coming. In Matthew's
account Jesus speaks of a Great Tribulation which will be like nothing the world has ever seen (Matthew 24:21-22 ). It will be
so bad that if God does not intervene, humanity will be destroyed. After speaking of the Great Tribulation, Jesus warns his
disciples about false Christs and false prophets who will seek to mislead them into believing Jesus has already secretly come
(Matthew 24:23-26). But Jesus says that when He returns everyone will see Him. He uses the illustration of lighting, which is
hard to hide, as everyone can see it (Matthew 24:27-28). Jesus continues, saying that after the Tribulation the sun will
darken, the moon will not be as bright and stars will fall from the sky. Then, after all this He will return, with everyone seeing
Him. A trumpet blast will also accompany His return (Matthew 24:29-31). Written by: Calvin Lashway/ Biblestudy.org

Are there modern-day PROPHETS Today?

There is hardly a biblical terminology
that has captured man's religious
concepts and imaginations more than
the word prophecy, prophesying or
prophets. Strong's Concordance has
these three words respectively: #
4394, Greek propheteia (prophecy), #
4395, propheteuo (prophesying) and #
4396, prophetes (prophet).
A number of Scriptures make
reference to this subject which is not
always crystal clear. In 1Corinthians
14:26-40 we find references to those
words mingled with the speaking in
tongues, revelations, etc.
"How is it then, brethren? when ye
come together, every one of you
hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath
a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an
interpretation. Let all things be
done unto edifying. . . . Let the
prophets speak two or three, and
let the other judge. If [any thing] be
revealed to another that sitteth by,
let the first hold his peace. For ye
may all prophesy one by one, that
all may learn, and all may be
comforted. And the spirits of the
prophets are subject to the
prophets. . . . If any man think
himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,
let him acknowledge that the things
that I write unto you are the
commandments of the Lord. 14:38
But if any man be ignorant, let him
be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren,
covet to prophesy, and forbid not
to speak with tongues. Let all
things be done decently and in
11
order." (1Corinthians 14:26, 29-32,
37-40, KJV)
It is widely understood that
prophesying does not necessarily
mean predicting the future, but it can
mean speaking with inspiration, as a
sermon can be, when God genuinely
inspires it. Godly instruction in
Christian living would then be the
essence of that prophesying, rather
than a prediction for the future. One
could not necessarily call such a
preacher a prophet. An eminent
example is found in Paul's habitual
preaching of an apostle as he was,
rather than a prophet:
"And my speech and my preaching
were not with persuasive words of
human wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of
power," (1Corinthians 2:4)
Jesus did also refer to the same
demonstration of the Spirit, in the last
evening He spent with His disciples,
before His crucifixion:
"the Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive, because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him; but you
know Him, for He dwells with you
and will be in you." (John 14:17)
"But when the Helper comes, whom
I shall sent to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds
from the Father, He will testify of
Me." (John 15:26)
In possibly the most authoritative
chapter in the matter of prophecy,
Apostle Paul addressed the subject of
Spiritual gifts of which, prophecy, is
one of them. The various gifts are
listed one by one:
"But the manifestation of the Spirit
is given to each one for the profit of
all: for to one is given the word of
wisdom through the Spirit, to
another the word of knowledge
through the same Spirit, to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another
gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
to another the working of miracles,
to another prophecy, to another the
discerning of spirits, to another
different kind of tongues, to
another the interpretation of
tongues. But one and the same
Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one
individually as He wills.
" And God has appointed these in
the Church: First apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, and after
that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, administrations,
varieties of tongues. Are all
apostles? Are all prophets? Are all
teachers? Are all workers of
miracles? Do all have gifts of
healings? Do all speak with
tongues? Do all interpret? But
earnestly desire the best gifts. And
yet I show you a more excellent
way." ( 1Corinthians 12:7-11, 28-31)
First of all consider the last part of this
Scripture just quoted: Apostle Paul,
who was directly trained by Jesus
Christ, significantly asks the question,
"Are all prophets…?.", etc. That
alone ought to prompt us to question
them or their claims.
In 1Thessalonians 5:21 Paul says,
"test all things…". To take particular
note that the above Scripture specifies
that such Spiritual gifts, if genuine, are
manifested. Doesn't that clearly imply
that they should be real, palpable and
factual? How do we know if they are?
Let's first look at a general
classification of true and false
prophets:
"Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves. You will know them by
their fruits. Do men gather grapes
from thornbushes or figs from
thistles? Even so, every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree
bear good fruit." (Matthew 7: 15-18)
Now, how can we discern the
pertinent fruits of a true and false
prophet?
"But the prophet who presumes to
speak a word in My name, which I
have not commanded him to speak,
or who speaks in the name of other
gods, that prophet shall die. And if
you say in your heart, 'How shall
we know the word which the Lord
has not spoken?'
"When a prophet speaks in the
name of the Lord, if the thing does
not happen or come to pass, that is
the thing which the Lord has not
spoken; the prophet has spoken it
presumptuously; you shall not be
afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-
22)
There are presumptuous (false)
prophets today (Matthew 24: 5, 24).
Some claim to be prophets, but,
because they know this Scripture they
usually say that at a certain date, this
may happen or that may happen so
that, if by their wishful thinking it will,
then they claim to have made the
prediction, and if it doesn't the word
may is their escaping clause.
It should be very elementary that a
true prophet, one directly inspired by
God, will make an unequivocal
prediction that will come to pass!
Are there true prophets today? I don't
know any, nor do I know anybody who
knows.
Although the Bible mentions prophets
yet to come including Elijah (before
the end of this age, Malachi 4:5-6) as
well as the Two Witnesses
(Revelation 11: 3-12 ), these have yet
to appear. By Adriano Borean/
Biblestudy.org
12
 time of Samuel, He only intervenes

Are YOU Ready?

when necessary to keep His plans for
mankind on track. The rest of the time
Satan can do exactly as he wishes.
(and that is scary).

It may be possible for what I am about

to say to be misunderstood, and I want
to make it perfectly clear, on the
There is so much trouble in the world today that record, that I am speaking of morality
people everywhere are scared and nervous, here and not politics.
wondering what the future will bring. Everyone
who has Christian inclinations is running to the Many will begin to poo-poo what I'm
local churches, searching for the answers to about to say as just another one of
questions of what is happening, and why, BUT those conspiracy theories. However, if
THEY ARE GETTING NO ANSWERS! one doesn't believe that Satan inspires
conspiracies among men, then that
There are only a few places today where there are person doesn't study the bible!
answers to those questions. That is in the Churches
of God who observe the TRUE Sabbath and God's President George Bush has signed a
Holy Days. Only in THOSE churches will you find new presidential order which gives
answers to today's stress and anxiety! him exclusive power in the event of a
declared national emergency. It was
It is imperative today that those who preach be very careful in statements made signed on May 9th and if congress
because of the politically correct mindset of those in power. When a minister does not vacate it, it will become law
speaks from the pulpit he must speak of politics only as it pertains to morality on June 9 or thereabouts.
and scripture, and even then he can still get in trouble with some one individual
in government who feels they have the oversight. Could it be biblically significant that
King George the 1st of Great Britain
One of the problems with church organizations is that they sign up with was in power when the pilgrims left for
government tax authorities as a non-profit organization so they can retain ALL of America to escape extreme
the money sent in by their members and donors. There are laws which then put persecution because they wouldn't bow
that church group under the authority of those tax people if they wish to retain to King George's protestant
their non-profit status. Christianity?

Does anyone every wonder why Jesus said, "... Render therefore unto Caesar Are Christians beginning to suffer
the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s?" persecution in America today?
(Mat. 22:21)
As I watch events unfold on the world
The threat of the internal revenue service to punish those who are not politically wide scene, these are just some of my
correct is a huge club over the heads of churches to preach those things the thoughts as I try to put everything
government considers as correct and causes churches to steer away from together as it fits Biblical prophecy.
criticism of those in power even though it has to do with morality and not politics!
Sometimes any statement about politics is perceived as being on one political In relation to this, you might want to
side or the other, even though the statements might be about biblical prophecy read an article I have on the web site, if
and how it is being fulfilled in the actions of governments. you have not already read it. It is
entitled "Was America founded upon
God tells us in the book of Daniel, referring to King Nebuchadnezer: Judeo-Christianity?"

Dan. 4:32 "... and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with Many things are coming to pass that
the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven will bring America down. Most people
times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most high ruleth in the have their heads in the proverbial sand
kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." and just simply cannot see this
happening. They have been lulled into
social and spiritual apathy as the
Yes, God is the one who ultimately rules in the kingdom of men, and sets up or government "cares for them."
takes down governments as he sees fit to accomplish the plan of salvation.
This article will focus on just a very little
Of course, you know that Satan is the ruler of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), and is able of those things that are going to
to do whatever God allows him to do. Since God declared 'hands off' during the happen.
13
Rev. 12:9 "and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, That 'short time' is from the time Satan
and satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and was cast back to Earth until his
his angels were cast out with him." judgment at that Great Day. I
personally believe we are in the last
When that verse is read and talked about, the speaker, or writer, is usually years of that "short time."
focusing on the middle part of the verse "... satan, which deceiveth the whole
world: ..." And here is something else VERY
important to us Christians.
What I want to concentrate on in this article is the rest of the verse "and the
great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, ... : he was cast out God tells us that near the end of this
into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." age, He will cause something spiritually
tragic to happen because people have
There are some verses in Isaiah 14 where Lucifer ascended up to heaven and totally rejected him.
tried to force God to let him sit in a throne over the angels of God and over
God's congregation, or family. Amos 8:1 "thus hath the lord God
shewed unto me: and behold a basket
Isa. 14:13 "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt of summer fruit.
my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the 2 and He said, Amos, what seest thou?
congregation, in the sides of the north:" and i said, a basket of summer fruit.
then said the Lord unto me, the end is
come upon my people of Israel; I will
Lucifer tried to force God to allow him to sit in a throne of authority over the
not again pass by them any more.
angels of God and the Children of God. That throne is yet to be filled, and will be
3 and the songs of the temple shall be
filled by the Bride of Christ.
howlings in that day, saith the Lord
God: there shall be many dead bodies
Rev. 12:7 and 8 tells us what happened after Lucifer went to heaven. in every place; they shall cast them
forth with silence.
"and there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the 4 hear this, o ye that swallow up the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, needy, even to make the poor of the
and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven." land to fail,
5 saying, when will the new moon be
Lucifer was cast back to this earth along with his angels. God renamed him to gone, that we may sell corn? and the
reflect what he had become, Satan the adversary. sabbath, that we may set forth wheat,
making the ephah small, and the
God then imprisoned him and his angels here until their judgment. shekel great, and falsifying the
balances by deceit?
6 that we may buy the poor for silver,
2 Pet 2:4 "for if god spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to
and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea,
hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto
and sell the refuse of the wheat?
judgment;"
7 "the lord hath sworn by the
excellency of jacob, surely i will never
I have wondered if that phrase "into chains of darkness" meant they would no forget any of their works.
longer be able to see any of God's truth and repent of their evil ways. 8 shall not the land tremble for this, and
every one mourn that dwelleth therein?
Jude 1:6 "and the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own and it shall rise up wholly as a flood;
habitation, He (God) hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto and it shall be cast out and drowned,
the judgment of the great day." as by the flood of egypt.
9 and it shall come to pass in that day,
At any rate they could no longer go to Heaven. They were bound to this saith the lord god, that i will cause the
earth which was called "hell" in that verse. That word "hell" is from the Greek sun to go down at noon, and i will
word 'tartaroo' which means: darken the earth in the clear day:
10 and i will turn your feasts into
'Strong's Exhaustive Concordance' - #5020 "a place of restraint." mourning, and all your songs into
lamentation; and i will bring up
sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness
They were bound here on the earth from then on, then God gives the earth a upon every head; and i will make it as
warning: the mourning of an only son, and the
end thereof as a bitter day.
Rev. 12:12 last part of the verse "... woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the 11 ¶ behold, the days come, saith
sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he the Lord God, that I will send a
knoweth that he hath but a short time." famine in the land, not a famine of
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bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the Words of the Lord: them in time of need? Are they
12 and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, becoming a part of you so you won't
they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord, and shall not find it. even need a bible? Remember that
13 in that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst." FAMINE God promised!

The 'new moon' in verse 5 is referring to God's High Sabbath Days of His We should all be studying, praying,
Feasts and the Sabbath, of course, is the 7th day Sabbath which will be meditating and fasting. We MUST
enforced fully when Jesus returns. The fair virgins and young men fainting for become the kind of person who knows
thirst is not referring to water but to God's Holy Spirit. God's Word from the deepest part of
the mind, that part which is our spirit.
In that day, the longsuffering of God will have finally reached its end and That part where we cannot forget it!
He will begin to take retribution against those who rebel against his laws.
We also read about the coming times
A FAMINE OF THE WORD! of the earth's greatest trouble!

Jesus will no longer be working with the inhabitants of the earth, the written and Mat. 24:3 "and as He sat upon the
spoken Word of God will no longer be available! They shall run to and fro to Mount of Olives, the disciples came
seek the Word of God, and shall not find it!! They won't be able to hear it nor unto him privately, saying, tell us, when
read it!! shall these things be? and what shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of the
end of the world (Gr. aion = age, i.e.
HOW IN THE WORLD COULD THAT BE POSSIBLE?
end of the age)?
4 and Jesus answered and said unto
There are millions and millions of bibles in homes and libraries around this earth! them, take heed that no man deceive
How could it NOT be possible to find one or hear someone preaching from one? you.
And yet God says the Word of God won't be available in any form! 5 for many shall come in my name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
I BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD WILL BE OUTLAWED! I believe it will be many.
against the law for anyone to have a bible or to preach or teach what it says!! 6 and ye shall hear of wars and
Those who do so will be put away (in prison) where they can't teach anyone rumours of wars: see that ye be not
what the bible says! troubled: for all these things must come
to pass, but the end is not yet.
YOU DON'T THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN HERE IN THE GOOD OLE' 7 for nation shall rise against nation,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? and kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be famines, and
Let me show you a few news story headlines. pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers
places.
8 all these are the beginning of
April 21, 2007 "worker fired after posting picture of Jesus. says manager told
sorrows."
him God not allowed on cubicle walls."
Mar. 20, 2007 "Oregon biology teacher fired over bible references. said Dan
Harrison, father of a student in class, "how many minds did he pollute?" I BELIEVE WE HAVE ENTERED
April 26, 2007 "Christians in bull's-eye in new 'hate crimes' plan. Congress THAT TIME OF SORROWS!
working to create penalties for non-politically correct views."
May 21, 2007 "Have sex, do drugs, speaker tells students. Men with men, We have seen all the things mentioned
women with women, whatever combination you like." (said by a guest speaker in these verses and they have gotten
at an assembly of Boulder High School in Colorado who told this to worse and increased in intensity!!
students as young as 14.)
February 7, 2007 "When grandmas go to jail for witnessing. arrested for sharing Many have come preaching that Jesus
the gospel? An expected outcome in some foreign country, but in is the Christ and are deceiving many
Pennsylvania?" (because they are preaching a Jesus
February 8, 2007 "Men jailed for being on a public sidewalk. Gideons arrested not shown in God's Holy Word!!)
after school officials complain they were handing out bibles!"
Nation has risen against nation and
And that is just a few of them! I see this kind of thing all the time as kingdom against kingdom. There have
governments continue to ban any mention of Jesus, God and Christianity! been famines and pestilences. There
have been earthquakes in different
WELL, WHAT ABOUT YOU? places. I mean places that don't usually
see earthquakes!
Are you studying god's word and making it a very part of your mind and
life? Are you memorizing verses that impact you personally so you won't forget
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And all these are coming with more frequency and intensity!! Ps. 91:3 "Surely he shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler, and from
ARE YOU READY? the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers,
How is your faith? Is it strong? Are you getting closer to God each day as you and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
live your life for Him? You ARE living your life for Him, aren't you? Has true
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror
Christian living become your way of life and do others see Christ in you? Are
you reaching out to others with kindness, gentleness and compassion for all their by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by
problems, or have you become complacent in your little corner of the world?? day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in
darkness; nor for the destruction that
Have you become calloused to the suffering of others or do you reach out in wasteth at noonday.
true Christian love doing whatever you can to make their suffering easier? 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and
ten thousand at thy right hand; but it
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU, PERSONALLY ARE AFFLICTED. shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou
Still in Mat. 24: behold and see the reward of the
wicked.
verse 9 "then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye 9 Because thou hast made the
shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. LORD, which is my refuge, even the
10 and then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall most High, thy habitation;
hate one another. 10 There shall no evil befall thee,
11 and many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. neither shall any plague come nigh
12 and because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the love of many shall wax thy dwelling.
cold. 11 For he shall give his angels
13 but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." charge over thee, to keep thee in all
thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their
CAN YOU ENDURE UNTO THE END?
hands, lest thou dash thy foot
against a stone."
Is your faith strong enough that you could walk through fire for your God? Is your
faith strong enough you could give up your life for your God?
Yes, God's proverbial 'wings' will
protect those who are His at the
It MAY be required of you!! coming time of trouble!

This strong faith ... where does it come from? God gives us many promises
throughout his word such as this:
Faith comes as a gift from god.
Eph. 2:13 "but now in Christ Jesus ye
Eph. 2:8 "for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith) not of who sometimes were far off are made
yourselves: it (that faith) is the gift of God:" nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 for he is our peace, who hath made
Faith also comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us;
However, those who will suffer through that famine of God's Word won't be able 15 having abolished in his flesh the
to receive faith. It will not be available to anyone after that point in time until enmity (hatred), even the law of
Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom and sit upon His Throne of Judgment!! commandments contained in
ordinances (the sacrificial law); for to
make in Himself of twain one new man,
At that time those who have faith will have stored it up! Those people will so making peace;
know God's Word and be able to tell others about his marvelous truth! 16 and that he might reconcile both
EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE A PRINTED BIBLE!! unto God in one body by the cross (Gr.
Stauros = the stake), having slain the
ARE YOU READY FOR HARD TIMES? enmity thereby:
17 and came and preached peace to
Those who are very close to God will be! Those who are 'luke warm' you which were afar off, and to them
Christians WILL NOT BE READY!! Those who are keeping God's that were nigh.
Commandments and Holy Days will be protected by God as those Children of 18 for through Him we both have
Israel were protected from the plagues in the Land of Goshen, Egypt. access by one spirit unto the Father.
19 now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow
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citizens with the saints, and of the household of god; comes! If you do, you will be changed!
20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (The Old You will be made a mighty spirit being
Testament), Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; like God and be taken into the very
21 in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in Family of God!
the Lord:
22 in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the I know you will be there if you
(Holy) Spirit. remain strong and faithful! Throw all
your cares upon Jesus, for He loves
These promises are wonderful and satisfying, but how can we know we will and cares for you!
receive them?
May god bless you as you seek to
Mt 19:26 "but Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is serve and obey Him!
impossible; but with God all things are possible."
by Ken Browder Seven Times Newsletter
Lu 1:37 "for with God nothing shall be impossible".
Lu 18:27 "and he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible
with God."

Christians prove all things, hold fast that which is good! (1 Thes. 5:21) If you do,
you will receive that crown of life that Jesus will bring with him when he

Who Are We?

Keeping Watch Newsletter is published free of charge by The Mustard Seed Evangelistic Association –an affiliated
association committed to the publishing of the Gospel that Jesus Christ preached and as recorded for us in the Holy
Scriptures. This goal is to be within the framework of the Commission set forth to His believers and followers to "go and make
disciples of all nations ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). It is our hope that
Keeping Watch and its other publications will become a shared-resource and vehicle for our readers to come to know and
understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the Kingdom of God. You are invited to join us in this exciting and marvelous work!

I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am reproved. Then the LORD answered me and said:
“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:1-

2:1-2

For your question and/or comment, email us at mseedwork@yahoo.com/ peopletowin@gmail.com/ Raul deAsis Hipe/Editor

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