With these words Jesus began to answer the question his disciples posed of what would be the signs of his second coming and the end of the age. The LORD’S first response was a warning, for the last days would be a time of great deception with false christs, false teachers and false doctrines abounding such that even the elect would find themselves deceived if they did not take heed. Jesus continued his answer saying “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many”. (Matthew 24:5) There would be many who come in the name of Jesus Christ proclaiming the truth that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of Israel, yet they would be false teachers and false prophets, who would teach and deceive many. The word for “deceive” is planao (plan-ah'-o) which means to go astray from the truth, to err, seduce, wander, and be out of the way. “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2Timothy 3:13) The word used of seducers is goes (go'-ace) which means a wizard (as muttering spells), an imposter, a seducer! These false teachers are actually speaking spells and evil enchantments with the words of their false doctrines. This is the terrible time Jesus warned us would come at the end of the age “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” (1John 3:7-8)
THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREEIn the twentieth century, the world has witnessed the budding of the Fig tree, which is the restoration of the nation of Israel back to their land. This is the sign spoken of by the prophets signaling we are in the last days, and that the LORD is coming back soon. Jesus spoke of this sign in a parable. The LORD taught many parables, but this was the only one He instructed us to learn the meaning of, for this is the sign that He is standing at the door.Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Matthew 24:32-33 Israel is the fig tree, and her leaves came forth in the early part of this century. We are living in the last days spoken of by the prophets of Israel, and The LORD is now standing at the door. We are presently entering into the midnight hour, and the darkest part of the night lies just ahead. The purpose of this book is to reveal the mystery of the Revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which has been hidden by GOD from those wise in their own eyes, and revealed unto babes. I shall give insight and understanding to the writings of the prophets, and reveal the true order of the events, which will precede the second coming of our LORD. Two thousand years ago the religious leaders of Israel were looking for the coming of the Messiah, yet having misunderstood the true meaning of Bible prophecy, they missed their hour of visitation. Today, the religious leaders of the Christian church are making the same mistake, having misunderstood Bible prophecy regarding the second coming of the LORD. Their hour of visitation is at hand, and the LORD is coming as a thief in the night, in ways of which they are unaware. Once again, the LORD has raised up men of wisdom in the wilderness to speak the truth, and to warn the church of the impending judgment, which must begin in the household of GOD. JUDGMENT BEGINS IN THE HOUSE OF GODFor the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of GOD: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of GOD? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 Pet 4:17-18The Judgment of GOD always begins within His house. The prophet Ezekiel was shown the judgment by GOD of ancient Israel. “The LORD said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.’ But to the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity, and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.’ So they started with the elders who were before the temple.” Before addressing the issues of what is about to come, I shall first attempt to summarize the consensus view of end time prophecy held today by many within the church in America, and by the power of GOD’s spirit, also correct the errors contained therein. THE CHURCH IN AMERICA HAS BEEN DECEIVED
The signs of Matthew 24:6-8 represent the signs that we are in the last days. A union of 10 nations will rise to global power representing a revived Roman Empire. The anti-Christ will rise to power and sign a 7 year peace treaty with the nation of Israel marking the beginning of the Great Tribulation - a 7 year time period. America is strangely absent from the prophetic writings. The church will be raptured out of the earth before the beginning of the 7 year tribulation. The church is looking forward to a great end time revival before the hour of judgment begins. Each of these commonly held views are wrong and are based upon vain thinking with no scriptural basis whatsoever. These errors will be addressed and corrected through the course of this text. Some will dismiss this message, refusing to believe the leadership of the Church could be deceived. Yet the LORD warned us specifically to “take heed that no man deceive you.” The LORD does not give idle warnings, for the warnings and admonitions of the LORD are themselves prophecy of what would come. The LORD is actually saying: “In the last days, the majority will be deceived, take heed that it doesn’t happen to you!” Not only is deception of the church possible, it was prophesied to happen! “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” THE EARLY BIRTH PAINS OF THE KINGDOMWhat then is the sign of the end of the age and the second coming of the LORD? Prophecy teachers point to the statements made by Jesus in Matthew 24:6-8 as the answer: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. Matthew 24:6-8 These “signs” have been cited as the evidence that we are in the “last days.” Jesus said these signs are only the beginning of sorrows that the earth must endure before the great tribulation, but they are not the sign of the end of the age. Scripture warns us “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” The time of the end would witness scoffers who would deride the message of truth regarding the return of the LORD. The word used for scoffers is empaiktes (emp-aheek-tace') which means a derider, and a false teacher, a mocker or a scoffer. At the time of the end, these scoffers will be found as false teachers within the church itself. THE PERSECUTION OF THE TRUE BELIEVERSPresent day prophecy teachers completely miss the next point the LORD makes in His discourse regarding the events of the end of the age: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. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:9-14 Following the signs which are the “beginning of sorrows” , the LORD tells us “then” the true believers will be delivered up to be afflicted “and they shall kill you and you shall be hated of all nations.” This time of persecution precedes the tribulation and will come suddenly as a snare! One day soon, the majority of the people in the church will awaken and realize they have been lied to, and deceived by their leaders, who did not warn them this persecution was coming. The “many” who consider themselves Christians will then be “offended” and “betray” one another. The American believers are neither emotionally nor spiritually prepared for the sudden and intense persecution which is about to fall upon them, and when it comes, and it will surely come, the majority will be utterly devastated. The word for “many” in the original Greek is polus (pol-oos'); which means most, plenteous or the majority. Jesus is warning us, in the midst of intense world wide persecution, the majority of professing Christians will become offended, and betray one another. Only a faithful few will continue to hold the true profession of the faith - that JESUS CHRIST is LORD and He is the only way, the only truth and the only life. "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.” The word in Greek for “offended” is skandalizo (skan-dal-id'-zo) which means to entrap, and to trip up (figuratively, to stumble or entice to sin, apostasy). Nominal professing Christians will stumble and fall under the persecution, and will deny the faith. These apostate believers will then turn on and betray the true brethren of the LORD. The word for “betray” in the Greek is paradidomi (par-ad-id'-o-mee) which means to surrender, to yield up, or to deliver. The Greek for “hate” is miseo (mis-eh'-o); which means to detest and to persecute. Jesus has warned us that a worldwide persecution is coming “before” the tribulation. This persecution will be so intense that the majority of those claiming to be Christian will become offended and stumble into apostasy, and they shall then deliver up the chosen ones to persecution unto death! Only those who endure unto the end will be saved. The Greek word for endure is hupomeno (hoop-om-en'-o) which means to remain; to bear trials, to persevere. Only those who remain faithful to the LORD, and patiently endure the trial of this persecution will be saved. Jesus warned of a worldwide persecution of the true believers. “All nations” will hate the chosen ones of the LORD. Dear reader, this includes the United States of America where up to the hour of this writing, believers have enjoyed unprecedented freedom. Yet in the LORD’S own words, we know this will change and a time of violent persecution is coming very soon in America. The flash points of judgment are all at hand; the spirit of greed, the spilling of innocent blood, perversion and pride cover our land. A generation of American Christians have been watching the early birth pains convinced by their teachers that the next event would be the rapture of the church, yet what must follow next is persecution - intense persecution. The twentieth century has witnessed more martyrs for the name of Jesus Christ than any other. Today in many nations thousands of believers are dying every day. America will witness such sorrows before the “sign of the end.”
|
Bible Prophecy - HOME PAGE - Rapture, Armageddon, Revelation Explained