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And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,
when he shall begin to sound,
the mystery of God should be finished,
as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
The Book of Revelation, chapter 10, verses 5-7.
Everywhere it seems there are voices resounding the theme of the end of the age, the time of the end, and the last days. There's a lot talk these days of a New Age and a New World Order. We hear so many thoughts and theories about what the coming new millennium will bring. So many voices, views, and versions of what the future holds in store fill the air! So many, many differing opinions and conflicting ideas abound, even among so-called experts on the prophetic texts dealing with these themes! Is the end of the world at hand? Are we in the last generation?
Well, treading the threshold of the 21st century now, ours is truly a most extraordinary hour of history. Beyond all comparison—yet not exactly strange—it is a thoroughly unique and absolutely unparalleled day and age. This is especially so in light of the dramatic changes that have swept through our world in the last 100 years—not to mention the last 20 or 30—with the inconceivable yet to come, we are told!
I comment that it isn't really so strange, because the more I dig into the historic writings of the Hebrews the more it becomes evident that they possessed some uncanny foreknowledge of exactly how the future would flower and what fruit it would bring forth. (A particularly salient example of this is visited in chapter 13 about the "fig tree.") Mysterious as it may be, that pre-written history is fulfilling itself. And although history repeating itself is an all too common thread throughout the tapestry of time, Hebrew history alike, I actually did mean to say fulfilling itself, playing itself out as an almost foregone conclusion.
I find that the headline developments of this astonishing, and now quickly passing century were written thousands of years ago in long anticipation of the very times in which we live. A study of the writings of now long-dead Hebrew seers, which will be our focus throughout these pages, not only reveals where we presently are on their documented prophetic timetable, but what is next on the itinerary for the near future. It's not exactly a fearless prospect, I must admit.
Ancient prophecies have predicted our current predicament quite precisely. Most widely familiar are those of the most notable prophet of all: Yeshua Ha'Mashiach as he's known to the Hebrews, Christo Iesous to the Greeks, and to English speakers, Jesus Christ. His prophetic testimony, on record in the pages of the New Testament, describe the developing conditions of our modern world with uncanny, and even frightening accuracy.
Our purpose in this book is to embark on a tour of various prophetic texts which have been well preserved and passed on to us from ancient Hebrew sources, some dating back well over 3,000 years. My endeavor as your guide is to stop at as many of the major points of interest which will serve to compose an accurate and comprehensive picture of the end-time landscape as foretold by these ancients.
Though they be laced with plenty of mystery, in typical Biblical style, taken together there is nothing confusing, contradictory or conflicting in the many separate writings of the Bible prophets. Indeed, aside from the as yet sealed portions, there lies a very clear, and highly-coordinated vision of future history safely preserved in their phenomenal, though mysterious prophetic chronicles. It's all just waiting for our discovery and amazement. I have certainly been amazed (not only at their writings, but at what they are so often construed to have meant).
Some of the sights we explore may excite you, others may frighten you; but if our tour of them doesn't shatter whatever trace of complacency may have crept into your life, then I will have indeed failed in my literary endeavor.
We shall examine the order, as well as the nature of end-time developments foretold by the numerous Hebrew prophets of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Special focus will be directed to the prophecies given by Christ, to whom, for obvious reasons, special regard is due. (Regardless of what you or I think of him, even the blind who hear of him do not fail to recognize the profound value of his legacy, unless they are doubly vexed by the even more cursed condition of self-righteousness and bigotry.) His voice, after all, resounds more powerfully than all throughout the halls time and His prophecies were numerous and detailed.
Bear in mind, the voices I will echo in this book are nothing less than eminently ancient. They are not voices of clairvoyants from recent issues of the National Enquirer, or of contemporary diviners like Jean Dixon, or of other twentieth century psychics or seers like Edgar Cayce or George Orwell, or of Renaissance prophets like Nostradamus not yet even 500 years old. The most recent ones are now over 1900 years old. And beyond any mere coincidence, all of those voices—some dating back 3,500 years—sang in complete chorus.
And without dispute, the state of affairs actually prevailing in this extraordinary day and age (of "Generation X") was forecast most cleary by the Lead Voice in the Biblical chorus. We begin at the Mount of Olives in the early Spring, about the year 32 of our Common Era...
Lots of (Mis-)Leading Voices Shall Proliferate
And as [Yeshua] 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 many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. . . . For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. —Matthew 24:3-5, 11 & 24-25
It is largely because of the increasing perplexity and global distress that prevails in our world as we approach the year 2000, that so many voices are raised to cry out in the name of direction and purpose, trying to make sense of things. In this pervasive climate of confusion, disorientation and constant, rapid-fire change, the soil is fertile for the proliferation of prophets, saviors, deliverers and messiahs.
The teeming voices of the multitudes of these contemporary "answer-men" have thus flooded the modern-day landscape with a heaving ocean of answers—a deluge of doctrines and persuasions, theories and visions, programs and proposals—that threatens to drown us, unless we can grab on to some one of those "answers" which appears to float above the rest...Hey, look! Here comes a pretty stout looking straw; I'm grabbin' that one while the grabbin's good!
From political panderers to evangelical vendors, everybody has "the solution" and claims to have the answer. And all of them will lead you out of your distress to a better place, supposedly.
Whether it be Bill Clinton, Gloria Steinem, Fidel Castro, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Mead, David Koresh, Kofi Annan, Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II, Indira Gandhi, Shimon Peres, John Hagee, Mao Tse-tung, John Dewey, Caspar Weinberger, Chuck Missler, Bill Bennett, Ayatola Khomeni, Hal Lindsey, Billy Graham, Mary Anne Williamson, Benjamin Netanyahu, or Louis Farrakhan, they all have "the answer"—some probably more than others. Please, there is no intent to deride any of the illustrious figures just mentioned, but only to give some inkling of the myriad assortment of would-be answer-men-and-women of prominence in our time who believe they have (or have had) ideas and agendas worthy of mass acceptance.
The trouble is, how do you sort through so many voices for a transcendent truth that really resolves the mystery of "What in the world is going on in this dizzy spin of life? and, just what are we doing here?" Tell me, where are we headed?...Does anyone know what it's all about?...Just what should we believe?...Is there a "right" way?...Are there any absolutes?...Will it all ever make sense?...Will it ever end? or, will things just simply continue endlessly spiraling ever faster in the direction they are headed now?
As King Solomon pondered almost 3,000 years ago, "What is the conclusion of the whole matter?" (taken from last chapter of Ecclesiates)
Well, let us take some comfort in the voice of the Seventh Angel. For when he shall begin to sound, the Scriptures tell us, then "time shall be no longer" and "the mystery of God shall be finished." The tangled mess of all the ages will be unwound. The truth will be completely manifest. The confusion will be dispelled. The lies, and the liars, will be exposed. Deceit and corruption will be halted forever.
Retribution will then be meted out to each of the the world's vile leaders—of whatever brand—including the multitude of false messiahs and false prophets who misled and seduced the masses into the predatory snare of the Soul Slayer. The travesties of mankind shall be terminated. The oppressors and exploiters, opportunists and extortioners, murderers, sorcerers (evil chemists & druggists), "dogs" (practicing wanton incontinence), whoremongers (sex/lust merchants), all liars and deceiving propagandists (commercial, educational, governmental, or religious), and all GOD-hating blasphemers will pay their dues.
The earth will be cleaned up. Those who destroyed the earth will be destroyed.1
The weapons of war will be incinerated and war abolished.2
The New Earth Order of Messiah will be established.3
Earth will be inherited by the meek and the poor, who will be its prime ministers, governors, judges, and law enforcement agents.4
Love, liberty, peace, goodness, and harmlessness will be the law of the New Earth Order.5
Under the direction of the Supreme Prince of Peace, the Earth, its people, and all its inhabitants (animals too) and resources will be managed the way they were meant to be since the beginning.6
This momentous occurrence is referred to by Jews of orthodox faith as the Coming of Messiah—the Kingdom of GOD on earth—and by most Christians as the Second Coming of Christ.
Could this scenario be any time soon?
The "Blessed Hope"—Any Day Now?
Some voices regularly proclaim its advent any day! Some not only declare that the day is immediately imminent, but have actually forged desperate dogmas to that effect—to which they unswervingly adhere, and even expect that their disciples swear to the same in order to be accepted in their religious circles. It is truly dismaying to note that a great many of these mistaken dogmatists actually sell these artificially contrived doctrines to desperate hopefuls in the public marketplace for monetary gain (via books and magazines, audio and video cassettes, television and radio programs, conferences, etc.). Surely, you have also heard their voices, perhaps having caught a drift of their mass media preachings on radio or TV now and then, or even read their books or checked out their videos and tapes.
Actually, a good number of these folks are completely sincere, especially the sheep of these flocks. And herein is a major tragedy in the making; because, unfortunately, sincerity does not translate directly into being right. In fact, being unwittingly deceived, tricked, or simply ignorant, only to find out later that we were wrong in our position—though absolutely sincere—is a condition we have all experienced and can relate to. In this case, however, the stakes are sobering and serious, actually a life-and-death matter. And further, these deathly risky doctrines go beyond being innocently mistaken. Artificially contrived in essence, they are diabolical departures from truth, arrived at by turning a blind eye to the scriptural facts. Such dogmas actually ensnare souls in a lethal, lukewarm complacency that can only lead to taking the infamous "mark of the beast," as we shall explore shortly.
Many have hastily formulated foolhardy (and completely unrealistic) end-time doctrines that emphasize the "blessed hope" of "looking for Messiah's coming" as the central theme of last-generation religion—often with reckless disregard for the purposeful lifestyle that precedes any such hope.7
Ignoring what the full nature of His Coming signifies, in terms of the pre-conditions surrounding this event, they handily, and perilously, dismiss very crucial aspects of it that do not suit their taste. Such over-anxious anticipants fit perfectly the description the prophet Amos gave of their brand of belief in chapter 5 of his book: "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. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" A little later, it will become more clearly understood why for so many folks the blessed hope will not be as blessed as they anticipate.
Christ Himself qualified the advent of the "blessed hope" in these words from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 24, verses 32-34: "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. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Referring here specifically to His return to Earth from His extraterrestrial domain bringing restoration and salvation—this time in awesome power and magnificence at the end of the age—He made it clear that a whole set of circumstances and events would need to take place before the doors would burst open at His arrival. As we shall view for ourselves on one of the upcoming prophetic tour stops, this most definitely includes the "historic marker" known as the Great Tribulation.
The volumes of prophecy speaking of the latter days indicate that the advent of the New Earth Order of Messiah is indeed about to burst open the doors. The commentary and analysis in this essay is focused on this theme of the coming of that Great Day of GOD Almighty and its advent being relatively imminent; yet, although in agreement that it is certainly close at hand, this spectacular event definitely cannot occur within the next seven years (as of date of this writing). The signs which we are presently seeing, and will continue to witness with increasing frequency, are sign posts on the latter-day highway, indicating that our destination—the destiny of this very generation—is right around the corner. Again, this destiny is prophesied to occur all within the same generation which witnesses the entire set of end time signs provided by Messiah passing before its view.
The timing of this event and the "historic markers" that signal its arrival, which even now casts its shadow across our thresholds, will be the object of our study tour. The following chapters deal with what the Last Generation can expect to experience before it concludes.
For the sake of injecting a sense of realism commensurate with current events and contemporary circumstances and developments, we shall also engage in some hypothetical speculation about the prophetic future. As a reader, you will, of course, have to judge as to any likelihood that it may be inspired (as we all wait to see just how everything plays out). That is, an attempt is made to present a clear vision of what is yet to come, based on personal revelation and one man's individual understanding of the prophecies. However, each reader will have to rely personally on the witness of the Spirit of Truth to determine whether this voice is an inspired oracle or just another one of the "many." Is it merely one to be recycled like last week's grocery store tabloid; or might it perhaps "baptize you with fire" to leave you clinging to nothing but absolutely the most significant things in life? It shouldn't be long before the answer is evident.
One thing that shall be unequivocally echoed within these chapters is that all these signs to be covered shall come to pass within one generation, which we have already referred to above as the Last Generation. The major historic marker in this regard is visited in detail in the chapter entitled "Figs and Generation Finále." Of course, understanding that a generation is not a fixed number of years and varies, depending on life spans and average longevity of the generational members, leaves us with an imprecise range to consider when concerned with timing. Nonetheless, it does impose a definite limit on how long things can be stretched out before coming to a conclusion. And even with modern medical advancements, still the average lifespan is reported (by CBS Evening News, 9/11/97) to be at its all-time high in the USA at 76.1 years. Of course, it was reported 3,500 years ago by Moses in the Psalms to average between 70-80.8
Even if only ten or twelve years yet remain for this generation, like the pregnancy of a woman in her latter weeks, they will probably seem terribly protracted because of the expectancy, and because of the swelling burden of trouble that we shall all experience in these last years. That small number is really not many years at all—which most of us over forty are keenly conscious of. Yet, in view of the trouble to come, the divine act promised of "shortening those days" will without doubt be tremendously welcomed by the time of our post-Tribulation deliverance.9 (Much more on this in later chapters.)
Christ Yeshua spoke of this coming time of trouble as an "hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Revelation 3:10) He foretold it to be a season of "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:21) The great prophet Daniel described it as "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation." (Daniel 12:1) In the book of the Apocalypse, Apostle John foresaw and was told of this same "great tribulation, out of which came. . . .a great multitude which no man could number." (Revelation 7:9-14) And, Apostle Paul literally characterized the coming day of the Lord "as travail upon a woman with child." (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
We shall also return to this key passage of Paul's letter to the Thessalonians again later. It has great significance in sorting out the type and nature of the events connected with the Day of The Lord—about which there is great misunderstanding and confusion, particularly among most mainstream Christians. This metaphor of the pregnant woman going into painful and hard labor is seen often in the holy Hebrew Scriptures related to the birth of the Global Messianic Order. Additionally, since another prophetic feature is directly associated with this pregnancy, let's not forget to take note that the other key sign of the times the apostle posted in this same passage is that the prevailing irony of the day would be the clamor of "peace and safety!"
20/20 Blindness (Having Eyes, They See Not)
Besides due to being un-informed or ill-informed, the most fundamental causes of confusion in spiritual and prophetic matters are rooted in misplaced priorities and/or a lack of willingness to accept the truth. In the case of prophecy regarding the latter days, the time of the end, and the Day of The Lord, a great deal of confusion prevails among Bible "scholars" and Christians. Differences and debate focusing on some very critical issues about end-time events (among other things) seriously plague the Christian community. Perhaps getting to the root of the problem will reveal why.
It is a fact that all of us are carnal and subject to temptations and weaknesses universally common to everyone.10 Christ taught that, though "the spirit indeed is ready/willing" to meet challenge and difficulty, "the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:38 & Matthew 26:41) Therefore, He repeatedly admonished us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation by that weakness. Apostle Paul, likewise, later pointed out that, indeed, we are all "men of like passions," (Acts 14:15), that is, subject to the same weaknesses and temptations.
What are those passions, temptations and weaknesses? The same as those that resulted in Eve and Adam falling into error: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Genesis 3:6)
The apostle John reiterated these weaknesses and passions in the following admonition: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (I John 2:15-17)
These sweeping weaknesses of the human family are common to and cross all cultures, races, ages, and genders. Very basically, they are, as John clearly articulated them in his second epistle: 1) immediate desires of the flesh, especially pleasurable gratification, as well as avoidance of pain; 2) all that the eyes find attractive and alluring beyond ourselves, which is most often coveted for possessing or consuming; and 3) pride, or aggrandizement and exaltation of self as the ultimate end.
The Scriptures of the Hebrews (which will be our exclusive purview in this book) detail the history of their people and their struggles with these very issues. Unlike every other national history book—unrealistically patriotic and overly glorifying of their respective nations, beyond reliability—Bible scriptures hide nothing, not even the wrongs and sins of the very People of the Book. They provide accounts of their greatest heroes grappling with and being overcome by these very same difficulties. Even the most notable were not immune. In fact, most often, these common weaknesses consumed the Jewish people in general like a malignant cancer and eventually destroyed them. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (1 Corinthians 10:11)
It is truly a tragedy that so many lives and so much martyred blood was shed that these Scriptures might be passed faithfully on to us, such that we might benefit from their history, as well as their guidance into the future; for, history keeps repeating itself and the future remains a dim, uncertain vision through the eyes of the repeaters.
Christianity, originating as a sect of Judaism, inherited the great legacy of these holy writings and the tremendous wealth of their indispensable lessons. Yet, confusion about them and lack of understanding plagues the majority of Christians and cripples their churches; all of it with roots in the age-old weaknesses we have just outlined, which are all so clearly articulated in those very Scriptures as priceless history lessons. A close examination of the situation reveals that it's not due so much to an ignorance of the writings, and the lessons and principles they convey, but to an outright disregard for them—the same old historic pattern!11
Why should the people of GOD, who were destined, according to Moses, to be the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13), end up confusedly chasing their tails? Very simply because, for the most part (and as the Holy Scriptures teach), their priorities are all misplaced. As Christ and all the Prophets taught, everything is a matter of values. What you value dominates your life and determines your destiny. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21) And, what you place first in the order of your pursuits defines what your values are. Conflicting, jumbled, or distorted values make for similar belief systems.
The principle has long been established by Messiah that those individuals who are pure in heart "shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) In the same sermon and along the same vein, Christ also taught that if your eye is "single," focused on the value of laying up treasures in heaven, rather than on earth, your whole body will be "full of light."12 That is what comprises the quality and state of being "pure in heart."
Contrary to the clouded and shallow notions of sin often impressed upon us by misguided Christians, Jesus did not teach purity as "Thou shalt not eat, nor drink, nor enjoy beauty, nor have any carnal pleasure." Rather, he simply taught that all of those joys of life are secondary to caring for the wellbeing and happiness of your neighbor (as much as your own!)—which is actually an integral part of loving GOD first with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
In terms of His principal concern—values—He taught that the primary order of our existence is to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." (Matthew 6:33) In those terms, purity is a matter of singleness of purpose and devotion, much more than some supposed and highly elusive moral rectitude (of or by carnal measure).
In fact, Christ insisted that such manner of moral righteousness is actually quite insufficient to save anyone at all. It is highlighted poignantly in His admonition to His disciples in the "Sermon on the Mount" with reference to the exemplary uprightness of the scribes and Pharisees of that time: "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20) According to Jesus, the renown zeal of the scribes and Pharisees for upholding the law of righteousness, with all of its precepts of morality, was not enough to gain them entrance into the kingdom of righteousness.13 We see in this proclamation that He was obviously referring to another more profound level of goodness, one which reaches beyond the enumeration of all the "thou-shalts" and "shalt-nots."
The principle of purity in heart definitely requires re-examination in this different light. Indeed, only a few short verses later in the discourse, He outlined the formula quite lucidly.
The purity to which He referred is the whole subject of the portion of the Sermon on the Mount contained in chapter 6 of the book of Matthew. Yeshua (as I prefer to call Him) plainly taught there that public image and the personal appearance of holiness is a thoroughly self-serving objective and its own reward in and of itself. No other benefit did He impute to such a moral endeavor; and in fact, He insisted that one's morality and fasting from indulgences of the flesh be a private matter of secret concern between the person and his God, including one's good deeds.
Instead, in this epic teaching, He turned all attention to the magnificent Father and His kingdom, His design, His will, His glory, our dependency on Him; and also to our human propensity to trespass into temptation and evil, and the crucial need for the all-important forgiveness and reconciliation for which He stands. Yeshua went on to conclude in this "sermon" that the sole endeavor of a man's life should be to seek first the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness—not our own!
In other words, no righteousness of any sort was to take priority over that which belongs to GOD and His perfect purpose for creation. Pursuing that purpose was taught as what the sole and all-consuming quest of our lives should be.
The essential moral issue of primordial concern, according to Christ, is whether we are divided in our devotion or ill-focused on any other quest. He taught that it is a travesty of truth and a defiance of GOD-ordained propriety to attempt to be a servant or slave of two masters. In any such faulty endeavor, He declared that one's eye is not focused (or, "single," as He put it) but, instead, "evil." Therein is the core and cause of true immorality. The Lord's final analysis of that unrighteous human condition is that the entire being is consequently rendered thoroughly immoral, or "full of darkness!"
The "light of life" was revealed by Jesus to be a matter of total absorption with performing the will of His Father and fulfilling His desire for the Creation—establishment of His utopian kingdom. To "see GOD" is to understand this principle and fulfill it. Being pure in heart is being pure in purpose. Morality arises inherently out of this purposeful singularity of devotion to seeking GOD's kingdom for the sake of His righteousness; not in seeking one's own righteousness for the sake of self-aggrandizement.
Gratifying self-centered lusts in this world—the root and fruit of self-aggrandizement—is the driving motivation which absorbs the ungodly humans who lack clear vision for the magnificence of GOD's intent and purpose.14 Such pursuits rob men of the light of life and engulf them in pervasive darkness. It is in the light of this Messianic perspective that we begin to touch on the cause of so much confusion among so many "Christians" and "churches," among whom, the quest for personal morality often becomes the all-consuming internal beacon or grand guiding spotlight, which effectively blinds them to the selfless truth. And the truth is that you cannot serve GOD and mammon! If you believe you can seek the kingdom of GOD while also pursuing materialism—no matter how morally pure you may think yourself to be—your eye is evil and you are deceived through and through.
So, with respect to an illuminated understanding of the Bible, its laws and its prophets, how can compromising Christians possibly hope to know the truth or be blessed with the correct deciphering of it, when they reject its most basic principles of faith in GOD (as those we have just seen stipulated within some of its most revered pages)? Their very own biblical tenets of faith, which they consentingly attribute to Him as the source, declare that their entire persons, when devoted to more than one master, can only be full of obscurity! To further compound their predicament (according to Matthew 6:23), they blindly go about even qualifying their darkened state of being as one of "enlightenment!" They claim to have the light!—and to be the "light of the world!"
How can they pretend that such a dim, impure condition of duality could lead to seeing GOD (who IS the Truth)? The prerequisite for true enlightenment is a pure heart, not one plagued with the darkness of a split, dual devotion! And, how can you trust that someone who serves mammon (material gain), or tries to serve both mammon and GOD, can possibly know what they are talking about, or has any real light in their life? According to Messiah, such trust is the formula for disaster; for, "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14)
This highly uncompromising perspective on values and priorities is presented to point up the fact that, as was said earlier, some very critical issues, which have become matters of debate and difference, really should not be unclear, or of any controversy whatsoever, to any who have eyes to see and ears to hear. But, a person's priorities and values will either clarify or cloud that individual's perspective and ability to understand.
To those who do "watch and pray"—that is, keep diligently focused, alert and spiritually in tune—understanding the precepts, principles and teachings of the Bible is pretty uncomplicated. It is actually quite difficult to get confused when the right channel is finely tuned in.15 However, watching and praying in today's "fundamentalist" circles often easily becomes nothing more than a shallow exercise in vain religiosity and hypocritical self-deception. Going through the motions, without a heart for truth, in an effort to superficially justify oneself, without truly paying the price of unfeigned love of GOD (i.e., forsaking the pursuit of mammon), is an all-too-common contemporary phenomenon. Christ too, in His day, was most certainly beset by these very same types of religious people who affirmed they loved GOD, but yet in practice despised His Word and Principles, and "loved darkness, rather than light."16
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." —Yeshua quoting Isaiah in Matthew 15:7-9.
In such cases, the supposed praying watchers are blinded, and their very prayers are in vain.17 For, as Solomon affirmed, whosoever turns away his ear from hearing the precepts and direction of The Father is not only in darkness, but "even his prayer shall be abomination." (Proverbs 28:9) Rather than practicing the "pure religion...undefiled before God and the Father" about which the apostle James taught in the first chapter of his epistle,18 too often, those who cannot divorce themselves from mammon contrive man-made doctrines to justify their lukewarm half-heartedness. In that fashion, many fundamentalists fundamentally deny the Christ and GOD whom they honor merely with their mouths and lips while teaching and preaching human schemings which they fraudulently present as divine.
The foregoing, admittedly, are strong allegations. Even insinuations of such a scathing sort merit substantiation and a more penetrating look at this phenomenon and its implications, especially in terms of our objective of establishing some facts about the prophetic biblical picture of the end time. A true and correct understanding of the prophetic facts are, as I see it, absolutely critical to passing "the great test" and a matter of life and death; otherwise why bother to write a book about it?
The Crafty Rap of the Rapturists
Some major doctrinal issues that need to be challenged for their fragile and fickle foundation in fantasy, as well as for the disastrous implications of subscribing to such utterly false notions, begin with the folly of believing in some supposed "rapture" of the believers prior to any experience of Tribulation. Those who do subscribe to this fanciful flight of the imagination believe that Messiah could appear at any moment to retrieve His "Bride" from off the earth. This teaching is known as the doctrine of "imminency." That is, according to this particular interpretation of prophecy, the second coming of Christ is immediately imminent and could happen any day to snatch the Church (metaphorically referred to in the Bible as the Bride of Christ)19 out of the plagues which will befall the earth in the final days of this age. Maybe you've seen the bumper stickers and T-shirts, or heard the believers proclaiming that they could vanish at any moment, also advising you to be prepared, lest you be one of those "left behind."
Well, as with any other type of truly effective (i.e., persuasive) untruth or deceit, there is some degree of truth blended into it by which the lie is made to have credibility. For such a doctrine to appear to have enough validity to be worthy of belief, it is necessary to borrow scraps of truth from the real thing to sew on to the artificial fabrication in order to give it resemblance to the original, and to patch the obvious holes in it. In the process of such laborious crafting, the real thing is nearly destroyed and supplanted by the contrived one. Such is the case with this particular patchwork doctrine of rapturism, which is actually nothing more than a hastily stitched together cloak of religious delusion and nothing less than a virtually criminal and practically unforgivable invention. Adding to the seriousness of the matter, this lukewarm dogma is running rampant as a very widely accepted teaching and belief among the great majority of today's "fundamentalist" Christians, especially in America.20
You see, because Christians have become so mammonized and materialistic, they have become dull in their senses. They are, therefore, easily led and misled by those who can successfully exploit their weaknesses (the temptations earlier discussed and more well-detailed later). Those who promise them rapturous escape from Tribulation readily capture their affection, allegiance and followership. Such clever synthesizers of pseudo salvations also subtly convince the unwitting sheep that they're special people (the Bride of Christ, as it were) bestowed with special graces and understanding, especially because they are subscribers to such masterful teachings by such "knowledgeable scholars."21
And of course, these very knowledgeable false Christs (or, pseudo anointed ones, as per the ancient Greek language manuscripts) and false prophets are especially skilled at stitching together the bits and pieces that have been cut out of the original truth so as to construe a particularly palatable replica. That degraded replica, coincidentally enough, matches all the carnal qualities of Eve's and Adam's Edenic snare, it also being: "good for food" (appealing to fleshly taste); "pleasant to the eyes" (pleasing to the mind and imagination); and, a fruit to be desired "to make one wise" (conferring or bestowing exaltation upon its partakers).
The pseudo shepherds dare not expose the sheep to the sharp, uncompromising, unadulterated voice of truth in the sacred Scriptures, especially those scriptures that teach there is a price to pay and a heavy cost attached to following the teaching of Christ. Instead, they cunningly craft candied promises assuring them peace and safety, rapture, and escape from tribulation. Such tactful strategies, of course, serve well in maintaining followerships and flocks of fleece-bearing devotees seduced by placating voices...
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. —Jeremiah 23:16-17.All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us. —Amos 9:10.
And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace. —Ezekiel 13:9-10.
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. —1Thessalonians 5:3.
These skillful diviners of false visions employ their wiley craftiness to concoct what Apostle Peter called "cunningly devised fables" that have no connection with reality, treacherously twisted and warped fictions invented to suit the weaknesses of the flesh.22 And beyond being lured by the lust of the flesh with the proverbial sweet bread of deceit (Proverbs 20:17)—namely, the pleasant, promising visions of pre-tribulation rapture into the sky—they and their followers are actually convinced that they are "one-up" on the rest of the world. They are wholly persuaded that they are in a separate, privileged class which possesses a special understanding, an esoteric knowledge that makes them a select group not subject to what the rest of us will have to go through23—namely, a universal "hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Revelation 3:10)
This "hour of temptation" highlighted by Yeshua in the Apocalypse is the crux of the matter—especially in terms of being truly and positively prepared (in practice) for its eventuality; to be much preferred over being foolishly duped into the damnation of believing we won't even have to face it, and thus not preparing adequately for it, if at all. Being conned that they are to be exempted from it is the stumbling stone that trips up so many would-be fundamentalist Bible-believers of this last generation into a headlong fall into serious delusion. This duped downfall leaves them doggedly insisting that they actually see the light and understand the truth about the imminent future of the world, about their own destiny and about the prophetic word. Well, the truth about this impending "hour" shall be the matter which will divide the sheep from the goats, and the wheat from the chaff in the last days.
This subject of supreme trial is at the heart of the apocalyptic confusion and the related debate. And, it will be the soul of damnation to those who swallow the perilous fundamentalist poison that is being dispensed to opiate the fear and anxiety that tribulation evokes in those who seek so desperately to save their lives. For "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." (Luke 17:33) Seeking to save oneself from tribulation and trial, though a quite natural tendency, is an uncommitted, unconvinced and unbelieving basis upon which to seek truth and spiritual preservation.
Precisely because the pursuit to preserve our lives on this planet is generally such a natural inclination and becomes such a universal human obsession is doubtless the reason why so few enter into the gates of true life. As Christ so aptly exhorted:
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." —Matthew 7:13-15
Over the years, I have gathered that coming to a knowledge and understanding of the truth is a relatively rare human experience. Plainly, the pursuit of transcendent truth is certainly not the primary or preoccupying quest which drives the race of majority humankind. I have witnessed that the pursuits and preoccupations of my fellow men and women on earth, largely speaking, revolve around a highly self-centered quest to maximize the satisfaction of and benefit to all that is concerned with one of the most unenduring elements of all—the human flesh. Yet, truth testifies that there is no enduring substance to life in this dimension and negates the supreme importance that is universally attached (almost) to that carnal endeavor.
The loudest, strongest, most predominant voices which prevail on Planet Earth are those promoting carnal, worldly achievement and denying a transcendent truth. Those worldly voices harmonize in one consolidated voice, that of the Established Order, the utterly vain world system of devotion to consumerism, covetousness, possessiveness and grandiosity, and to all other carnal priorities and self-centered values, all-too-temporal in quality. Together, these powerful voices—which provide the everyday programming for the average human child and reduce him to an unenlightened animal of expediency—resound out of the same carnal obscurity which long ago echoed in the classic philosophical darkness voiced by Pontius Pilate in the 1st century of the Common Era. Before conceding to the crucifixion of the brightest light of truth the world has ever known, Pilate excused himself with the shallow rationalization, "What is truth?"
This was not a question posed to the unjustly condemned Prince of Life for an answer. It was, instead, the cynical expression of Pilate's own resignation to a condemned personal life of patently dubious meaning and void of true purpose (which only an acceptance of truth could remedy). At that point, Pilate did not care for an answer; he instead spoke for all the rest of humanity in offering the condoning voice of absolution for turning away from truth to embrace the carnal expediency of the moment.
Pilate flunked his "hour of temptation" by dismissing the Voice of Truth which witnessed to a kingdom that was "not of this world" for which Christ was willing to lay down his life; sadly, the "holy people" also failed. The religious folks of that day who waited for the "blessed hope" of the kingdom, many of whom had just a few days earlier lifted up their voices crying, "Hosanna in the highest" and hailing Him as King, now just as loudly denied Him, demanding His crucifixion and voicing their affection for the established order of the day crying, "We have no king but Caesar!"
The age-old conflict of the flesh versus the spirit rages on. The flesh demands its kingdom of self-satisfaction now. Immediacy is a primary concern. The spirit alone is able to relate to a kingdom of life beyond death that transcends the temporal—and terminal—world. Only the spirit is able to deny the demands of the flesh for immediate gratification. The truth of life can only be grasped by the spirit; and the flesh, unable to see, hear, touch, or comprehend anything beyond the present, and demanding here-and-now satisfaction, rejects and refuses any such transcendent reality. At the same time, the spirit of truth counters and opposes such absolute commitment to the lust of the flesh and its narrow focus upon itself. In this conflict, only the spirit can endure and emerge victorious from the critical "hour of trial" to which I have been alluding.
Absorbed entirely with itself, the flesh cannot bear the trial and tribulation of that "hour," nor even the thought of it. Sacrifice, suffering, pain and death (deterioration and/or destruction of the flesh) are the dreaded and hated enemies of the carnal being. So are they the dread of religions which pander to the lusts of the flesh. It is this dread which prompts even those who profess a faith in Christ—who so willing laid down his life to certify His transcendent teachings24—to so dogmatically disqualify themselves from the Great Tribulation and misconstrue its intent and value.
Christianity, as a philosophy of life which exalts the preeminence of the spirit as the ultimate reality, is a teaching and religion of denial of self and subordination of the flesh to the supremacy of the spirit. As such, any voice or strange twist of doctrine which promises exemption from tribulation in favor of sparing the flesh from trial is highly suspect for heresy. None of the voices of the Bible's prophets taught any form of absorption with the carnal things of this world, but rather, an overarching commitment to the priorities and values of GOD's realm; and also, that it is indeed incumbent upon each of us to demonstrate our affection for the values of the one over the other through testing and trial. Hence, life is such as it is: replete with temptation, trial and tribulation. Our choices in the heat of the test determine our fitness for the kingdom of GOD and an eternally enduring life in it.
Christ taught, "It is the spirit that quickeneth [the essential substance of life]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) Saint Paul later explained to the Corinthians, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) And to the Romans, Paul exhorted that being carnally minded (ruled by the flesh) would strip a person of life and place him or her in a mortal condition of hostile opposition to The Creator.25
Bible doctrine is clear—setting one's affection on things of earth, rather than on the higher substance of the next, eternally enduring dimension, is actually a suicidal embrace of pure vanity and profound darkness.26 Moreover, in that spiritual darkness of preferring fleshly temporal values over spiritual realities is where delusion and confusion abound!
In that environment where flesh is favored over spirit, false prophets, pimping what appeals to the flesh, flourish and proliferate. That very condition of seeking to preserve the world-based welfare of the flesh is what engenders so much difficulty understanding the spirit-based teachings of the Bible—and its prophecies. All authentic prophets of the Great Spirit27 teach a detesting and repudiation of earthly idols and bring the light of enduring values to the hearts and minds of men.
The mere profession of religious faith, sainthood, or prophethood while yet secretly idolizing mammon, is a vain and feigned attempt to simulate "enlightenment"—merely an "illumination illusion" actually tending to turn into holy delusion, in the most stubborn cases of sanctimonious fundamentalism. The "candlepower" of that strain of prophets and their hapless followers is no more than the artificial glimmer and shine of a Hollywood stage or the skillful lighting arrangements of a movie set. Through the eye of their cameras, their manipulated imagery can appear convincing and true-to-life; but if you truly care for the honest light of day, you really should read the Book rather than rely on the product of guided-imagery religion, regardless of their well-established credentials, logos, all-star casts or big-name producers (or special-effects expertise).
Daylight is available to all; no one has a corner on it. The Spirit of Truth originates strictly with the Almighty GOD of the Universe, the GOD of the Hebrew Scriptures (and of all the pure in heart). The Truth Is What It Is. It does not, will not, cannot conform to any human (or other) manipulation or revision, albeit religious. Just as absence of truth is darkness, revision of truth is the obscuring of it in a cloak of darkness. And the sanctimonious revisionists of establishment religiosity have been hard at work seeking to dress the Truth in the conventional clothes of compliance and conformity to pious fleshly desires. The daylight of Truth is not their passion or quest; for the "illumination illusion" of worldly values suits them better. Though they call themselves "the light of the world," their "corner" is nothing more than an array of "impressive" artificial lights in the heart of comfortable downtown Babylon.
It should really be no wonder why the plain difference between the biblical exposition on Tribulation, as opposed to that of Indignation, is so hard to see, even in the brilliant nighttime lights of the Great City (after which so many have gone a whoring—don't miss Chapter 4).
Yet, the ability to clearly distinguish the difference between these two future events and times of major calamity (Tribulation vs. Wrath) critically determine a person's capacity to recognize where we are on the timeline of Biblical predictions about the time of the end. More importantly, in a profoundly crucial way, it fosters clarity about what preparing for upcoming events ought to consist of, let alone promoting a more devoted and attentive ear to the Voice of Truth who calls for it—preparation, that is (the highlight of Chapter 15).
Which brings us to the point in our prophecy tour of beginning to sort out the scriptural facts about these two very distinct future events. I hope you'll stay with me. Bless you.
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Chapter 1 Footnotes — "So Many Voices"
1 cleanse the land of Earth's defilers
Isaiah 24:1-6 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Revelation 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.Back To Text
Isaiah 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Ezekiel 39:9-12 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years. . . . And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying [armies], that they may cleanse the land.
Micah 4:1-2 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain [symbolic of kingdom] of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Daniel 2:44 And in the days of [the last 10] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Psalm 96:10-13 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
Revelation 12:5 And [Israel] brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Revelation 19:13-16 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Zech 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Psalm 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. —King David
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. —Christ Yeshua
Revelation 1:4-6 Grace and peace from...Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. —Apostle John
Revelation 5:10 [He] made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. —John
1 Corinthinans 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? —Apostle Paul
Revelation 2:26-27 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Isaiah 11:1-10 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (See also Isaiah 65:25.)
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. —Prince Jesus
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of [the house of Jacob] shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
7 that blessed hope & associated lifestyle
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. —Apostle Paul
Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. —Paul
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. —Paul
Revelation 2:10-11 Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. —Yeshua
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. —Yeshua Ha'Mashiach
Acts 14:22 We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. —Paul
1 Thessalonians 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. —Paul
Psalm 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Matthew 24:21-22 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.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man... —Paul
Isaiah 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Isaiah 30:9-10 This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits...
12 the source of light, and darkness
Matthew 6:19-24 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luke 11:34-36 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
Romans 10:2-3 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Matthew 6:32-33 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)...your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. —Yeshua
15 beware the funky frequencies!
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Isaiah 56:10-11 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
19 a totally distorted concept
The concept of the church is a highly misunderstood phenomenon, particularly by "church people" themselves, who insist on going to church, rather than being one. It is discussed in detail in the chapter entitled "The Gates of Hell Prevail."
20 either sell out or be spit out
Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
21 beware of Rev. Flatteries N. Compromeiss
Ephesians 4:14-15 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ...
Isaiah 29:13-14 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Romans 1:21-22 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...
Psalm 12:1-3 Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things [e.g., that they are the bride of Christ, and not Israel]:
Psalm 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue...
Proverbs 29:5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
Proverbs 28:23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.
1 Thessalonians 2:4-5 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness...
2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive...
Their claim to an elevated status of exemption is apparently the "knowledge of Jesus Christ" through a supposed "personal relationship with Him as Lord and Savior." This knowledge/relationship presumably begins with inviting Him to enter one' s heart, which, according to popular teaching, produces a conversion/salvation. Well, leaving nothing unchallenged, the authenticity of this "experience" must also be questioned...
It must be noted for the record that Christ did teach the notion of a deep level of belief, in terms that He concisely defined as receiving Him and His word, with the emphasis always on His word! The reason for the emphasis is obviously that His word unequivocally defines Him for who He is and what He stands for. In fact, Apostle John, in no uncertain terms, defines Christ as The very WORD of GOD made flesh. (John 1:1-14) To know Him, therefore, is a matter of having that "WORD" communicated to one's understanding and accepting it, thereby producing a conversion of heart, soul, and mind by one's faith in that word. However, a would-be relationship with Christ, according to Christ himself, is an extreme unlikelihood when the words of His teaching are patently disregarded: "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46) In the same passage, the Lord went on to liken just such a belief system to a house founded upon sand, which will only collapse under adversity (such as the Great Tribulation!).
Belief systems that purport to bring one into a personal relationship with Christ by such easy methods as praying to invite Him into one's heart need to be scrutinized with a high degree of skepticism. The same John, referenced above, went on to admonish the following in a later epistle: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (I John 2:4-6) While lips may beguile, only feet go the extra mile!
And, though Christ never definitively taught the concept of praying to receive Him into the heart, He did teach a much more radical, all-or-nothing concept of receiving Him, phrasing it very graphically in these words: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." (John 6:53) It is in another all-or-nothing passage (in Revelation chapter 3, condemning mediocrity of faith and lifestyle) that Christ presented Himself as a willing conversant and friend, standing at the door and knocking, prepared to enter into fellowship, if a zealous repentance from "lukewarmness" were accomplished. (See Rev.3:14-20) Again, popular applications of this out-of-context precept conveniently skirt the extreme demands of truth, in favor of a watered-down, mediocre approach to Christianity.
John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Romans 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
26 love not the darkness of worldly values
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
I John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Hebrews 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Mark 10:21-22 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Luke 12:20-21 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
James 5:1-3 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Mark 8:36-37 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
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