A Taste of What is to Come...

Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

God is good. God is merciful. God is just.

And to believers, He is our refuge during times of uncertainty and hardship. In the past weeks I have had many conversations with friends, fellow believers, about how people are dealing/coping with the current situation (COVID-19). We as believers are at peace, slightly irritated with the government overreaches, missing in-person fellowship, and thankful for technology allowing us to communicate with each other. Now, its not all cherry pie in the sky. Jobs have been lost, families are facing uncertainties about the future, but we realize everyone is. Our boat situation might be different, but we are all in this storm together.

We no longer trust what the media says due to conflicting stories and updated week in and week out, and do not get me started on the president's updates and how his words are twisted every single time.

As believers, we know we have hope, and we know this world is not our home. But we are concerned with those we know who are not saved. Those who do not know the LORD personally. That ways heavily on our hearts.

But, we are trusting God. His word is true. And roughly 26.8% of the Bible is prophecy. Think about that! A quarter of the book that is to guide is us while we are here on earth is about future events. Many, most of which, have come true.

There is one book, Revelation, that is yet to come to pass. But, friends, we are getting a glimpse of the seals, trumpets, and bowls right now in the year 2020.

I want to walk you through the days of Noah and how the days at the beginning of the Bible are completed in the last book of the Bible, and how right now we are getting a small taste of both.

Luke 17:25-27  (NASB)

25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Matthew 24:36-38  (NASB)

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For [a]the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

Noah, the world had never seen rain, but he told them it would, and so much so that the world would flood. He might as well have been speaking a foreign language to them. He was the only one of his generation to have a relationship with God. And God told Noah to build an ark, bring on animals, his family and be ready to hunker down. The world was completely different after Noah and his family came off of the ark. That much time together, (it was more than 40 days by the way, that is how long it rained - then they had to wait for the waters to go down), him and his family were different. Not only that, they got to see a different world. They got to explore a different world when they came off the ark.

The world they left behind was ugly, was horrible. There was perversion, murder, corruption, godlessness, idol worship, people loved themselves and money. Folks, we are right back to where the world was when Noah put foot on the ark.

Jesus Himself told us that He will come back when the world is like it was when Noah was on earth. Friends, have your hearts ready. Now is not the time to do anything you will be ashamed to explain to Jesus. Honestly, you should live that way always.

2020 has been an interesting year. Fires in Australia, swarms of locusts across Africa, and the coronavirus (COVID-19).

People united over Australia (aide, prayer, resources).
Locusts, really has not gotten as much as attention even though it has destroyed so much.
COVID-19.

Countries have shutdown, gone into lock-down, for a virus that is highly contagious, but the death rate is extremely low. People have lost jobs/businesses, schools are shut down for the remainder of the school year, states are talking about not opening school until January 2021 (its April 2020).

When they shut our businesses down, we did it in unity, because we wanted to flatten the curve. When they told us to keep our kids home, school at home, not go to parks, we agreed. Keep our kids safe and healthy, yes, we will do it.

People still went crazy. Toilet paper shortage, egg/milk/bread shortages.

Then the stores started to limit not only how many of certain items you could buy, they limited how many people of your family could go shopping, then how many people could be in the store. They put markers on the floor to ensure 6 foot social distancing. Installed hand sanitizer dispensers. You cannot pick your own cart, they push it into the sore for you and tell you when you can go in.

And now, in my county, tomorrow morning a mandate goes into effect saying we have to wear a face mask when in public, anyone age 10 or older.

At the store today I saw the sign saying for entry, one must wear a mask to be in compliance with the new mandate.

God is giving us a glimpse of what will happen after the Church hears the trumpet call. Through this entire experience I have seen God's hand working moving. The very first establishment God created was the family. And through this God has given the family a chance to reset, recharge, and draw close to Him. Church buildings are closed, but families are spending more time together. Mother's are showing daughter's how to cook and sew. Dad's are doing wood-work, sons are watching. Kids are playing outside, using their imagination, families are sitting together watching church worship services.

Once the church is called home, in time God's wrath will be poured out on humanity with fire, disease, pestilence, and so many horror's people will make 1 of 2 decisions. Believe and accept God as their LORD, or mock Him, and turn their hearts to stone. And right now, here in 2020 we are getting a small taste of what is to come. I believe in a Pre-Trib Rapture, so I do not believe that the Christians will experience the wrath of God. But, just as Moses and the Israelite's experienced the first few plagues along with the Egyptians, Christians right now are getting a small taste of what will happen to humanity once they are no longer on earth. For Christians, this is a wake up call, share the GOSPEL! Tell people about Jesus. HE is coming soon, time is short.

While wearing a face mask is not a mark to buy or sell, governments already have the idea, and by the number of masks I saw people wearing in the store today, people will take the mark. People want life easy, and following Jesus is hard.

But it is worth it. Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" He is good. He is giving us another chance before it is too late.

People to Know: Two Prophets, Anti-Christ, False Prophet

When the church is gone, raptured to Heaven, the world is going to fall into chaos. As bad as things seems now, things are going to drastically get worse. But this is not yet the Tribulation. A man will arise, who will do what has not been done: Peace in the Middle East. Jerusalem will make a covenant and have peace.

They day this covenant is signed, there will be 2 prophets who will begin to prophesy in Jerusalem. Let's look at what the Book of Revelation says of these two individuals.

Revelation 11 (ESV)

The Two Witnesses
11 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

Here is what we are told about them:

• Given authority by God (v3)
• They prophesy for 1,260 days (which is 3.5 years {based on the Jewish calendar year which is 360 days}) (v3)
• Anyone who would harm them, the two have the power to have fire pour from their mouth to consume the foe (v5)
• Power to shut the sky, no rain will fall while the prophesy (v6)
• Power to turn water to blood (v6)
• Power to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire (v 6)
• When they are done with their testimony (which is what they are giving while on earth) the Anti Christ will conquer and kill them (v7)
• Their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for 3.5 days (v 8& 9)
• The people of the earth (non-believers) will rejoice at the death of the two - they will give gifts to each other in celebration. The 2 prophets have tormented the unbelievers with their authority.
• After 3.5 days ta breath of life from God will enter them and they will return to Heaven (v 11 & 12)

There are theories on who these two men are. But they are just theories, God's Word does not sate who they are, so lets not worry about that. But these two men will be present for the 1st half of the tribulation. The beast mentioned in verse 7 is the man who brought about the "peace." At this point in the tribulation, the 1/2 way point, this man will reveal to the world who he really is. 

At the blowing of the 7th Trumpet (leading into the 7 Bowl Judgements) from Revelation 12-15 the following occurs:

* A Temple in Jerusalem 

* Mystery of God is finished (10:7)

* Kingdom of world has become Kingdom of God [on earth] (11:15)

* God has begun to reign (11:17)  

* Nations enraged  

* Gods wrath came 

* Time came to: judge dead / reward saints / destroy those who destroy the earth

* Lightening, thunder, EQ#4, hailstorm 

* War in heavevn; Satan thrown to earth (12:9) Woe to earth & sea

* NOW Kingdom of God & authority of His Christ have come (12:10) 

* Woman in wilderness 1260 days (time, times, 1/2 times)

* Beast (1) autority 42 months/image/mark/Beast (2)   

* 144,000 in heaven

The man of lawlessness will arise. The Anti Christ will show his true colors. He will be given the authority to rule the world for a short time (3.5 years). He, with the False Prophet, will deceive those on earth. In fact, the first "miracle" is that in the battle with the two witnesses the Anti Christ will receive a fatal blow that he will recover from. The False Prophet after this will create an idol for the world to worship of the Anti Christ, and implement the mark that all will be required to take. The False Prophet will get his authority from the Anti Christ and he will perform "miracles" to draw people to the Anti Christ - and many will be deceived. 

Revelation 13 (ESV)

The First Beast

13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 If anyone is to be taken captive,

    to captivity he goes;

if anyone is to be slain with the sword,

    with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

The Second Beast

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

The 7 Seals and 7 Trumpets happen over the first 3.5 years of the tribulation. But with the reveal of the Anti Christ, the Wrath of God will be poured out on Earth. The 7 Bowl Judgements will be poured out during the last 3.5 years. The reign of the Beast (Anti Christ) will be during the fulfillment of God's Wrath.

Friends - you do not have to be on earth for the reign of the Anti Christ. There is still time. The church has not been raptured - believers are still here. You can be saved. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then, seek out a Bible believing & teaching church, and start devouring the Bible. Read the Scriptures, and find out what it means to have accepted the cost of following Jesus (there is a cost - but the eternal reward outweighs any trials on earth).