The Great Rescue Is Coming - Let Us Persevere to the End!

"Because you did obey my message about persevering, I will keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world to put the people living on earth to the test." - Revelation 3:10, Complete Jewish Bible

During a prayer time recently I asked the Lord what I should do. It was not about a particular situation, but a general prayer for guidance in life. I was expecting the answer might be an assignment or mission, but what He spoke I did not expect. He impressed on me that the most important thing I can do is lead my family out of here before the Great Tribulation.

Wow.

This blog is all about the reality that we are nearing the end of this age and Jesus is coming soon. That's good news! The bad new is the Great Tribulation is coming too, when the Antichrist will rise to a position of global leadership and all hell will break out on earth.

The Great Tribulation - A Time of Unparalleled Distress

The Great Tribulation is the final three-and-a-half years of this age before Jesus Christ returns to lead the armies of heaven, take back the earth and establish his throne in Jerusalem for a 1,000-year reign. During the final years of this age we will see the culmination of everything Satan and his fallen angels have been working on and organizing since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden. It is Satan's final thrust to enslave and destroy humanity and rule the earth. It is also the agenda of the New World Order elite. Much of the book of Revelation describes this period.

"And they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?' There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him... It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him." - Revelation 13:4-5, NASB

"How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed." - Daniel 12:6-7, NASB

Forty-two months and "time, times, and half a time" are expressions for 3.5 years. The authority of the Antichrist and Satan's beast kingdom will extend over the whole world. It will be a time of unbelievable cataclysm and persecution. The Scriptures say believers in Christ will be "shattered" and "overcome." 

"If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he goes! If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he is to be killed!" - Revelation 13:10, Complete Jewish Bible

"And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." - Revelation 20:4, NASB

Furthermore, Jesus said the Great Tribulation would be like no other time in history:

"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." - Matthew 24:21-22, NASB

I don't want my family to be here for the Great Tribulation. I don't think anyone who understood what will be would want to be here either. Thankfully, blessedly, there is a means of escape for those who attain it. I am aware this topic is controversial, but I believe the Scriptures tell us both when it will happen and how we can escape. Please consider and read on.

The Great Rescue

I used to call this event the rapture, as many do, but I avoid that term now because it is loaded with so many preconceived notions, strong feelings and disagreements. Some accurately point out that the word "rapture" does not appear in the Scriptures, which is another reason not to use it.

However, these phrases ARE in the Bible: "rescue," "escape" and "keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world." So now I call this event the Great Rescue, which Daniel referred to in his end-times prophecies:

"And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued." - Daniel 12:1

The reference to the "time of distress" is the same as the Great Tribulation. Then, AT THAT TIME, everyone who is found written in the book will be rescued.

Jesus' message to the church of Philadelphia in Revelation also mentions this rescue:

"Because you did obey my message about persevering, I will keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world to put the people living on earth to the test." - Revelation 3:10, Complete Jewish Bible

The "time of trial" coming on the whole world, at least for our generation, is the Great Tribulation. Jesus is offering to deliver from this trial anyone who obeys his message of perseverance. As He said in Matthew, this means a perseverance to the end:

"But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." - Matthew 24:23, Berean Study Bible

In Luke 21, after talking to his disciples about end-times events, Jesus added:

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." - Luke 21:34-36, NKJV

Jesus warned about having hearts distracted by sin and worry and worldly pleasures, because this can cause us to fall into a trap - the trap, I believe, of missing the Great Rescue and being stuck on earth during the Great Tribulation. He is referring to the events that will play out on the whole earth, just like in Revelation 3. We must stay alert (spiritually awake and in communion with God) and pray we may be counted worthy to escape all these things - in other words, to persevere. More on what this means later.

Revelation 12 contains another reference to the Great Rescue. After Satan (the dragon) and his angels are thrown to earth in Revelation, they will persecute the saints (the woman)

"And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent." - Revelation 12:13-14

After a short while, the persecuted saints will be delivered from the presence of the serpent. Here again is the Great Rescue! Notice how long the saints will be hidden away - "time and times and half a time," or 3.5 years, the full length of the Great Tribulation. Since Satan will inhabit the earth at that time, the place of deliverance must be somewhere other than earth. Heaven?

By the way, the reference to wings of an eagle and the wilderness are an allusion to how God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and brought them to his presence on Mt. Sinai:

"Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself."'" - Exodus 19:3-4

In fact, the Exodus from Egypt, moving through the wilderness and finally entering the Promise Land are an amazing prophetic parallel to end-times events. God works history in repeating patterns. The plagues on Egypt represent the coming judgments on the world. The miraculous rescue by parting the Red Sea represents the Great Rescue in the end times. For more details about this prophetic parallel, see What Comes Next for Us? The Exodus out of Egypt.

Isaiah 26 also has a reference to the Great Rescue. See Isaiah 26 - The Rapture and the Day of the Lord. 

Expect Tribulation and Persecution

Though I believe the Great Rescue is biblically sound, the doctrine of pre-tribulation rapture is not. We should all expect persecution and tribulation. Not only as a constant in history, but especially during the run-up to the Great Tribulation, also known as the birth pangs. I believe we are in the birth pangs right now and serious persecution has already begun. Look at what is happening to Christians in the Middle East and North Africa and China. These things are coming to the Western world too.

Please don’t let your guard down and think you won’t have to face tribulations and persecution. Pre-tribulation rapture is a siren song that lulls Christians to sleep and makes them unprepared for the coming trials. Those who embrace it are apt to lose their hope and faith when things aren’t as easy and pain-free as they were told. For more on this, see Living in the Time of the Antichrist - The Message of Daniel 11:32-35. 

If the Great Rescue is not a pre-trib view, then what is it? I would call it pre-wrath, because the wrath of God is poured out on earth during the Great Tribulation:

"Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God." - Revelation 14:18-19

The Great Rescue Timing

Next I'll make the case that the Scriptures place the Great Rescue at the midpoint of the final seven-year period of this age and at the start of the Great Tribulation. But I have to tell you, these things are not obvious to see. They are in fact concealed by design:

"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." - Daniel 12:5

"Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time." - Daniel 12:9

Daniel 9:27 is a key verse that places the Great Rescue at the start of the Great Tribulation. This verse is analyzed in depth in the post Revival, Rapture, Zombie Apocalypse and Return of the King - The Message of Daniel 9:27. There I also explain why I believe the best translation to use for this verse is the Septuagint:

"And one week shall establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation." - Daniel 9:27, Brenton Septuagint Translation

In the age before the coming of the Messiah, the regular sacrifice was a twice-daily offering presented to the Lord in the temple. It honored and symbolized God's continual presence, communion and blessing among the people of Israel. 

In 169 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem, massacred many Jews and plundered the temple. The following year he set up an altar to the pagan god Zeus in the temple. Zeus represented the chief god of the pagan pantheon, the sun-god. From a Hebrew perspective, Zeus represented the head fallen angel leading mankind astray, known as Lucifer or Satan. In other words, this was an altar to Satan in the temple of the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy in Daniel chapter 11:

"Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation." - Daniel 11:31, NASB

Plundering the temple did away with the regular sacrifice and setting up the altar to Zeus was the abomination of desolation.

NOTE: Prophecies in the Bible often have multiple fulfillments, and biblical events often prefigure events that will occur in the future. As Mark Twain said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." For example, Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac prefigured God's sacrifice of his Son Jesus. Abraham bound Isaac on Mount Moriah, the place where Solomon's temple eventually was built, and in the city of Jerusalem where Jesus would ultimately be sacrificed. It doesn't repeat precisely, but it rhymes. Another example is the Passover lamb that the Israelites were commanded to sacrifice and apply its blood to their door lintels to ward away the angel of death during the plagues of Egypt. The ultimate Lamb of God whose blood overcomes death is Jesus.

Antiochus Epiphanes prefigures the man of lawlessness or Antichrist that will appear in the end times according the books of Daniel, Revelation and II Thessalonians.

What does the temple of the Lord prefigure? In the age before the coming of the Messiah, the temple was a building in Jerusalem dedicated to the worship of God and holding his Presence. The moment Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the earth shook. This event signified God's Presence and power would no longer dwell in a temple in Jerusalem. Instead, God's Spirit and Presence would dwell in our bodies - leading, empowering and teaching us.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" - 1 Corinthians 6:19

At Pentecost this was fulfilled dramatically and continues to present. In the end times, the era between the first and second comings of Christ, the temple is the human body. 

So, what does the regular sacrifice prefigure? The New Testament gives us clues:

"You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:5, NASB

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." - Romans 12:1, NASB

Do you see it? WE ARE THE REGULAR SACRIFICE! We who believe in Christ and are born of the Spirit are the daily sacrifice in the temple of our bodies, as we act on obedience to the Lord.

Therefore, what is the removal or taking away of the regular sacrifice? This is the Great Rescue, as foretold by Daniel :

"Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, WILL BE RESCUED." - Daniel 12:1, NASB

Back to Daniel 9:27: "And in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away." The middle of the week (a 7-year period) places the Great Rescue  halfway through the 7 years, or at the start of the final 3.5-year Great Tribulation.

Isaiah 26 also places the Great Rescue before the Great Tribulation.

Furthermore, Revelation 18-19 suggest that the Great Rescue will happen sometime during the period of judgment on Mystery Babylon (America), and probably just before its final destruction by fire. For an explanation, see The Rapture Will Happen During the Period of Judgment on America.

Be a Wise Virgin

Back to the question of who is rescued. Jesus' parable of the ten virgins addresses this directly:

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour." - Matthew 25:1-13

Please note that all ten are virgins. Could we imply all ten have been made clean? All had lamps and oil. All wanted to meet the bridegroom. I think we are looking at a group of ten Christians, not unbelievers. Jesus is the Bridegroom, as implied in Revelation 19 and the Song of Solomon.

The only difference between the wise and the foolish virgins was that the wise ones brought extra oil. The lamps of the foolish went out before the bridegroom arrived, since he arrived later than anticipated.

The wise were welcomed to the wedding feast - a wonderful and joyful celebration! But the foolish were shut out. In the end, the bridegroom said to the foolish, "I do not know you."

What can we say about this? It appears the foolish virgins did not persevere to the end. They let worldly pleasures, worries (fears), sins and deceptions crowd out their relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, they were not received.

What does it mean to have a relationship with Jesus Christ? Jesus puts it simply here: 

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." - John 10:27, NASB

A relationship means we hear his voice and do what He says. Therefore Jesus says, "I know them." In other words, we spend time reading and taking in the word of God and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts. Then we walk it out in our lives. The Apostle Paul stated it this way:

"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." - Philippians 2:12-13

This does not mean we are saved by works, for we are saved by God's grace through faith. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that covers our sins and makes is right with God. However, churches and ministries do a disservice when they portray salvation as a one-time event: Just pray this prayer! Salvation begins when we believe in Jesus Christ and are born again, but it does not stop there. Salvation is the whole process of being sanctified, walking with God, REPENTING, learning to do right and not wrong, cleaning up the bride and making her ready for the Bridegroom. Someday we will even be perfected in Christ!

By the way, attending church, participating in religious activities, reading Christian books, etc. is not the same as having a relationship with Jesus Christ. With the state of the American church as lukewarm and deluded as it is, doing those things can even be a hindrance. Many people are deceived into thinking they are walking with God when they are not, simply because they perform religious activities. You can't go wrong if you stick to the basics: Faith, Bible, Holy Spirit, obedience. 

The Great Rescue is a reward for faithful Christians who persevere to the end. God is a jealous God, and Jesus Christ wants to be first in our lives. He rewards faithfulness in a BIG WAY.

Conclusion

Praise God He has given us a way out! Not a complete pass from tribulation and persecution, but a Great Rescue from the worst of it.

By God's grace, I intend to lead my family out of here. I want to carry out the work God has for me to do, and then I'm outta here! 

To everyone reading this message, I hope you will resolve in your heart to do the same.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

Land of Unwalled Villages in the Battle of Gog and Magog

The battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 is an end-times war against Israel that, I believe, will be led by Russia (Gog of the land of Magog) and also include Islamic nations (Persia = Iran, Put = Libya) and probably European nations too (Gomer = Germany?).

However, Israel isn’t the only target. There will be a second nation attacked, indicated by the “ALSO” and “AT THE SAME TIME” in the King James Version:

"Thus saith the Lord God; ‘It shall ALSO come to pass, that AT THE SAME TIME shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.'" – Ezekiel 38:10-12

This passages describes a wealthy land of unwalled villages (rural country) full of cattle and goods and spoil. Israel isn’t a wealthy, rural ranching country, but America is. America also consists of people “gathered out of the nations” who consider themselves “at rest, dwelling safely.” Except for the British in America's early years, this country has never been invaded by a foreign army. The phrase “in the midst of the land” could also be translated “at the summit or center of the world,” which would describe America’s economic and military superpower status since the end of WW II.

The battle of Gog and Magog is World War III, out of the ashes of which the New World Order and the Great Tribulation will emerge. Israel will be saved but America will be destroyed. Ordo ab chao, the motto for freemasonry and the New World Order elite, is Latin for "order out of chaos." That is their strategy.

America appears elsewhere in Scriptures too. She is Mystery Babylon, the harlot who rides the beast, as well as the eagle's wings that get plucked off in Daniel's dream of the four beasts.

President Trump's Fascism Is Starting to Show

President Trump has been in office less than two weeks and already his fascism is starting to show. You may be aware that Trump signed an executive order to go forward with the Dakota Access Pipeline for oil, which the Native Americans at Standing Rock have been famously protesting to protect their water from potential contamination. Days after the order was signed, scores of militarized police and troops rolled up in armored vehicles to arrest 70+ protesters, dismantle a new protest camp and burn what remained, ostensibly because the camp was on private land. This video news montage from Dahboo7 has details:

Here's a photo of troops in body armor and armored vehicles getting ready to defeat the peaceful protesters in their teepees:

CREDIT: Alternative Media Syndicate

Strange that this event didn't get covered the mainstream media. Just total silence. You would think the anti-Trump media would be all over this. Hmmm.

I also found this two-minute video where Trump talks about how the government needs to censor the Internet to keep terrorists from influencing young people. Granted, this is from the election campaign, but it is informative of the intentions of the man now in the White House:

Did you hear how Trump dismissed the 1st Amendment and our core value of freedom of speech? That doesn't matter to him because we gotta censor the Internet to stop the terrorists! This is the same rationale globalists use to push un-constitutional gun control, pervasive NSA surveillance, endless foreign wars, invasive and demeaning TSA searches and militarization of police. I predict it will also be the rationale used to declare martial law in the future. By the way, did you hear Trump say we should consult Bill Gates, the techie globalist billionaire who wants to depopulate the planet with his "charitable" vaccine programs, about Internet censorship?

Trump let slip his fascist intentions. To those who think it is a good idea to give up liberties and empower the government to "fight terrorism," let me just say: You will be next. There is a day coming in America when Christians will be targeted for persecution. Then, all the un-constitutional programs and tactics developed to fight "terrorism," including censorship, and more, will be aimed at YOU. 

In my previous post Civil War Foreboding, I shared how the Lord showed me He will allow a spirit of conflict to arise in America that will divide the country and provoke a form of civil war - as a divine judgment. I believe Trump will stir up half the country against the other half, led in part by Obama from behind the scenes.

Have you seen these recent headlines? 

Ex-Obama Official Suggess 'Military Coup' Against Trump

Kaine: Democrats Have to 'Fight in the Streets' Against Trump

MILO UC Berkeley Show Evacuated As Masked Anti-MILO Protesters Start Fires, Swarm Building

As soon as Ex-President Obama returned from a 10-day vacation, he issued a statement against President Trump's immigration policy and encouraged people to protest: "Citizens exercising their Constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake."

Obama also has a new spokesman named Kevin Lewis. What former president has a spokesman a mere 10 days after leaving office and immediately starts criticizing his successor? Perhaps one trying to start a civil conflict/war.

There aren't going to be any winners in the coming conflict. We should stay out of it because it's a trap, and seek refuge in the Almighty:

"But he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land and will possess My holy mountain." - Isaiah 57:13

"You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place."
 - Psalm 91:5-9

Civil War Foreboding

On the evening before the presidential inauguration, Donald Trump and his family stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial while U.S. marines sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The song originated during the Civil War, and Lincoln was president during the Civil War and was assassinated near the end of it.

The scene was very foreboding. I'll explain why. 

I see two strongly held beliefs in the Christian community, each backed with prophetic dreams, visions and words:

1) Trump is God’s chosen man to restore traditional America and give it a reprieve - MAJORITY VIEW.
2) Trump is not what he says he is and is part of God’s judgment on America - MINORITY VIEW

They can’t both be true. God is not the author of confusion and is not going to send two mixed, contradictory messages. One or the other is a deception. Full disclosure: I am in the second camp.

When the prophecy from Mark Taylor came out earlier last year about Trump being God's chosen man to restore America, I had recently read Jeremiah 28 about the false prophet Hananiah. He claimed God would throw off the yoke of Babylon and make Judah great again, even though God had declared judgment against the nation. The Lord impressed on my heart that I was witnessing the same kind of false prophecy today. America is under judgment for its wickedness, and God is not going to give the nation a reprieve unless it REPENTS, which I see no evidence for. On the contrary, the calamities of judgment will be the means He uses to move some hearts to repentance. Judgment is a mercy, lest even more souls fall into hell.

A couple weeks ago I was up late praying and seeking insight about the times we are in and also about Obama and Trump and their roles in it. The next morning my 9-year-old daughter came in my office and showed me Judges 9, specifically Jotham’s parable of the trees, because she felt like God wanted to show her something there. I think the Lord did have a message for her, but it was also an answer to my prayer. The Lord brought Judges 9 and the story of Abimelech to my wife and I's attention several times recently, but we never really understood the significance of it. Then it hit me that story is a prophetic metaphor for America. Since Abimelech and the men of Shechem committed murder and wickedness, God allowed a spirit of conflict to arise that would divide the nation and provoke a form of civil war -- as a divine judgment.

Barack Obama is represented by King Abimelech. Another character arises named Gaal son of Ebed, who stirs up the men of Shechem against Abimelech, and who I believe represents Donald Trump:

"Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him." - Judges 9:26

There was much bloodshed and many died in the ensuing battles, which again was God's intended judgment for their wickedness. In the end Abimelech gets a fatal head wound from a millstone dropped on him. This is very interesting in light of this description of the beast in Revelation 13:

“I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed.” – Revelation 13:3

Like Gaal, the purpose of Trump is to stir up half the country, and especially the Christians, against the other half who follow Obama and his agenda. I believe a civil conflict/war is coming. Trump is probably going to be a scapegoat for the economic collapse, jihad attacks, etc., and that blame will be transferred onto the far right and especially onto Christians, which is exactly what Obama wants and could set him up for a return to power.

MANY people believe martial law coming to this nation at some point. Let me make a speculation: It won't be Obama who instigates martial law, but it will be Donald Trump in response to some catastrophe like a jihad attack. 90% of Christians will love it and want it and cheer for it because it's Trump. Except in the end it will be turned against them.

That same morning my daughter also flipped open to a page in her Bible that she thought was significant too. There was an illustration that showed the writing on the wall for Belshazzar in Daniel 5. That really spoke to me because twice already I felt the Lord impress on me that Trump will meet an untimely demise:

“Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’ This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians… That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.” – Daniel 5:25-28,30

Last week before the inauguration we asked the Lord directly whether Obama will stay in office. Because I did not think Trump would actually reach the White House in light of who Obama is and his agenda. [NOTE: It is really challenging to interpret prophecy. I find the Lord will give some specifics about WHAT is coming but does not say much about HOW and WHEN. Sometimes I make assumptions and get emotionally attached to particular interpretations that may not turn out accurate. We have to keep seeking him and walking by faith!]

The first word He brought up was "circumference." Interesting because I had recently taught my daughter how to measure the circumference of a circle. You start at one point, go all the way around and end where you began. In other words, you go full circle and back to where you started. The question was whether Obama will stay in office, and the answer was something like "full circle."

Other words that came up were "claim" (to presidency or reins of power?) and "clash" (over competing claims to power?). Sounds like the story of Abimelech.

Before that my daughter saw something significant from our back window. She watched a large bird of prey, which she later identified as a golden eagle, holding a snake. Golden eagles are rare around here, but I have seen them before in the winter. A second golden eagle tried to take the snake and a struggle ensued. In the end, the eagle who first held the snake flew away with it triumphantly.

One more note. My interpretation of other words we received (shadow, dissimulate, distract) was that Obama still holds reins of power by controlling a shadow government. He and the globalists have spent the last 8 years installing their players in the CIA, Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, etc. In fact, this country has been controlled by elites - the shadow government, the military-industrial complex, the deep state, whatever you want to call it - for decades. The last president that directly challenged the shadow government was John F. Kennedy when he denied the CIA's demand for air cover during the Bay of Pigs invasion, which would have led to re-invading Cuba and potentially war with the Soviet Union. Kennedy said no and then tried to tear apart the CIA. Everyone knows what happened to Kennedy in the end. The CIA, Lyndon Johnson and other members of government were behind it. It was a coup d'etat.

My point is don't be fooled into thinking Trump controls the executive branch of government. No president does fully anymore. But particularly now, the shadow government is running the globalists' New World Order agenda. Obama may have left office, but he still has power.

My warning to everyone is don't get caught up in the coming conflict. Be careful who you follow. It should only be Jesus Christ.

Even Some with Discernment Will Stumble - Part II

Continuing with the previous post, I'd like to address some of the specific deceptions and errors I see popping up in the remnant Christian community. With one exception, I'm not going to name names because I don't want to create ill will or more more divisions in the body. 

Deception #1: If someone disagrees with me, telling him that he might not be a Christian or might lose his salvation if he doesn't agree will really get my point across.

No, what you are doing is akin to condemning someone. Jesus said:

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." - Luke 6:37

Yes, we should stand up for truth and righteousness and correct others (and ourselves) when necessary. It is true to say that Jesus is the only way to the Father and those who do not believe in Jesus stand condemned already, but it is something else to consign people to hell because they disagree with a particular theological issue.

Our ministry on earth is to follow in the footsteps of Christ. This is the ministry of reconciliation and salvation, not condemnation:

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." - John 3:17

God will certainly judge all of us. But that's his job, not ours.

Deception #2: I have the gift of prophecy, so my prophetic words, dreams or visions are direct revelation from God and not subject to the Scriptures.

No. Any prophetic word that contradicts the Scriptures is not from God. Period. It might originate from your own imagination, or it might be "second heaven chatter" that was slipped into your mind by demons and fallen angels. We are all mortals living in fleshly bodies who can make mistakes. The devil is tricky, tricky, tricky.

God is not the author of confusion. His words do not contradict themselves and do not change. They stand forever.

All prophetic revelations and interpretations should be weighed against the totality of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. If it doesn't fit, throw it out.

Deception #3: Donald Trump is God's chosen man to restore America and we are getting a reprieve.

If America is getting a reprieve, then perhaps the Lord owes Nineveh an apology, because they actually had to repent from wickedness to get a reprieve, but America has not! 

"Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, 'Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.' Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them...

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it." - Jonah 3:4-5,10

The only way to delay or lessen God's judgment is REPENTANCE. That does not mean going to church or saying a prayer or voting for Trump. That means we have a change of heart and stop doing the evil things that offend God. America has not done this!

What bothers me so much about the Christian leaders who are promoting Trump and the idea of America getting a reprieve is that their position contradicts the Scriptures. 

When the (in)famous fireman's prophecy from Mark Taylor was announced earlier this year about Trump being God's chosen man to make America great again, I had recently read Jeremiah 28 and the story of the false prophet Hananiah. The Lord impressed on my heart that I was witnessing the same kind of false prophecy today.

God had declared to Judah that King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon would destroy the nation and carry away the people into exile for 70 years. This was his will and the punishment for Israel's long period of rebellion against him. In fact, it would have gone easier for the Israelites if they had just submitted to captivity, but instead they rebelled against that too and were crushed by Babylon's army.

The false prophet Hananiah announced that God had changed his mind and would break the yoke of Babylon and make Judah great again. But God's real prophet Jeremiah rebuked him, and the Lord took Hananiah's life a couple months later.

I tell you what - you couldn't pay me a million dollars to stand in the shoes of these people making false prophecies about Trump. 

It's true that God has used Trump to expose some of America's sins, but that doesn't mean he was chosen to restore it. The Lord keeps leading my wife and me to 1 Samuel 8, where the people of Israel told the prophet Samuel that they wanted a king instead of prophets to judge them. The Lord said, "They have rejected Me from being king over them." Trump is like a King Saul. He is a test for Christians in America: Will they prefer to follow a man, or will they listen and yield to the voice of the Lord?

And don't get me started about the heaps of evidence that say Trump is NOT what he says he is. 

Deception #4: Since the word for God in Genesis 1 (Elohim) is different from the word for God in Genesis 2 (Jehovah Elohim), it means that Satan and the fallen angels created mankind in their image.

This is not true. There are many words for God in the Old Testament and Elohim is definitely one of them. Just because the word elohim can also refer to magistrates or angels, as in Psalm 82, doesn't mean that Satan and his angels created us in his image.

In fact, the Apostle Paul referred to Satan as a "god":

 "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving..." - 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

This is a reference to Satan's worldly influence and authority during this age, at least until Jesus Christ shows up on a white horse with a sword to deal with him. It doesn't mean Satan created anything. Satan can manipulate creation for his twisted purposes, and even contributed to the corruption of mankind, but he didn't create anything.

Paul also clarified that we are created in God's image:

"For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God..." -2 Corinthians 11:7

Therefore, men and women are created in the image of God, the Lord God, the Creator God.

Even Some with Discernment Will Stumble - Part I

A couple days ago my wife and I went on a date night to the local ski resort for some evening skiing. It was nice to get up on the mountain for some fresh air and clear views while the grandparents watched the kids. But I think I skied one run too many because I fell spectacularly the last time down. Somehow I turned too sharply, clipped off one of my skis and fell over. There was a patina of ice on the slope and I slid quickly downhill. I tried to dig in my remaining ski as a brake but flipped around so I was sliding down head first on my back. So I rolled lengthwise to get the ski under me again and tried to dig in the edge. It was tough but eventually I came to rest on the side of the run near the trees.

A compassionate snowboarder brought down my other ski and asked if I was okay. I said yes and thanked him. The fall had pulled the hat and goggles off my head and I just lay there a couple minutes, shaking the ice out of my hair and thinking, "What the heck just happened?"

Which is how I have felt in general recently. 

Some Will Stumble

This blog has been fairly quiet lately because, to be honest, I sense the time of warning is over. The Lord's judgment is upon America and things will break loose any day. People have either received the message or not.

However, after published my previous post in November, Living in the Time of the Antichrist - The Message of Daniel 11:32-35, I was not expecting to see a fulfillment of the Daniel 11:35 prophecy right away:

"Even some of those with discernment will stumble, so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time." (Complete Jewish Bible)

But in fact this is what happened. Christians, even in the "awake" remnant community, have been falling into error and deception all over the place. Personally, in the last couple of weeks I have seen trial and temptation and stumbling too. I was racked with frustration and doubt about prophetic fulfillments a couple weeks ago. Fear, lust, anger and unforgiveness have raised their ugly heads. My older daughter got a gushing nosebleed in the middle of the night that lasted so long I feared she might lose consciousness or have to go to the ER because of blood loss. (It turns out she has an allergy or some strange reaction to artificial food coloring in food!) I have felt rattled and then watching other people I respect stumble has only added to it.

I have seen solid people with prophetic gifts suddenly put forth messages and doctrines that contradict the Scriptures. When reproved, they dig in their heels. A person who is normally sweet-natured and kind wrote a venomous post with false teaching. A ministry I thought was credible and listened to their shows has been exposed for deception and teaching sorcery! I'm seeing people criticize others with harshness and condemnation, creating fractures and divisions among believers.

Folks, Satan & Co. are having a field day. They are probing for weaknesses and stepping up attacks everywhere. The spiritual battle described in Ephesians 6 is real. If the enemy can coax a Christian to fall into sin or deception, they can discredit or derail their ministry and cause mayhem in general. If they can coax Christians to hurt each other, they can create divisions, and a house divided against itself cannot stand.

I want to warn everyone, including myself, that we need to stay close to Jesus, guard our hearts and repent often.

Avoiding Deception

My wife and I asked God how to avoid being deceived and were led to this verse:

"The rod has budded; arrogance has blossomed." - Ezekiel 7:10

Pride is a soul killer and an open door for deception. If we think we have it all figured out, and won't let God continue to teach and mold us, then we are setting ourselves up for deception. Spiritual discernment begins with humility and purity of heart. It's not about intelligence or education or belonging to the right club. God did not choose Moses to lead the nation of Israel because Moses had all the "right answers." He chose Moses because he was humble:

"Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth." - Numbers 12:3

In contrast, the spirit of America, which is the daughter of Babylon or mystery Babylon in the Scriptures, is PRIDE:

"Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, who dwells securely, who says in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me. I will not sit as a widow, nor know loss of children.'" - Isaiah 47:8

And pride comes before the fall:

"Pride goes before destruction, and arrogance before failure." - Proverbs 16:18

In fact, any sin creates an open door for the enemy to slip in deceptions. This is why we have to listen to the Holy Spirit, read the Bible, stay true to its teaching and repent often.

To read the second part of this post, click here.