Revelation, The Church, and The Tribulation

Reflecting upon the messages emulating from the pinnacles of faith I have noticed a disturbing trend developing. What once was a plan of redemption, a plan of salvation that had strict rule and regulations has evolved into a feel-good message designed to entertain.   One pastor's weekly message is about how God loves us and how he is doing great things for us.  There are those who accept the indoctrinated view of God while other look out their window and see the signs of the tribulation all around us.  The strange weather patterns, the intensification of storms and earthquakes, the spirit of discontent that exists within our homes, school, churches, communities, and nation does not depict the image of a smiling God.

In my book, "The Evolution of a Failed Church", I seek to amplify the disconnect that exists and condemnations brought against the church after it had strayed away from the ordinance set forth by Christ.  Long before our leaders trashed the Bible and enacted laws giving humanity the courage to stand against God, Christianity and the Bible, the church as an organized and divided body had failed (Revelation 2-3).   There is only one question left to answer. "Did the gates of Hell prevail against the true church (Five wise virgins) or did Christ come back for his church before it became a confused and divided body (Five foolish virgins) (Revelation 4:)?   The answer to this and other question has serious implication for the billion-dollar entertainment enterprise that is masquerading as the organized church.

According to the testimony of the Apostle Paul (who wrote inspired of God), we will not enter nor go through any part of the Great Tribulation: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1^st Thessalonians 5:9). According to this Scripture, the Church is not appointed to wrath, the Church is not appointed to judgment. The Church will not face either the wrath of God or the judgment of God but will be caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds in the air. Then the judgment of Almighty God will fall upon this earth as described in Revelation six and follow. The stage is set in Revelation 4 and 5, and the judgments break out at the beginning of chapter six.

We all face a problem here.  It is not with the interpretation of the book of Revelation, it is with the application, implication, and timeline.  The prevailing consensus is we must go to church, a building dedicated to a church to obtain salvation.  Now if we believe as Paul believed that the church would not go through the tribulation, then we are comfortable with the idea that the tribulation is not upon us, thus the fulfillment of Revelation has not begun, yet many teach that we are living in the days spoken of in the book of Revelation.  If we see the signs that Jesus spoke of as the beginning of sorrow, the time of tribulation and the church is still here then contrary to what Paul said, the church is going through the tribulation.     

Paul speaking to the Jewish converts long before the church became an organized body.  "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)  The new converts were encouraged to get together with other converts and uplift one another through prayer and their testimony as they waited for the return of Christ.  They were to do this as a spiritual body.  The Roman government (Constantine) and enterprising men (Nicolaitans) saw the power and glory of organizing these groups into one earthly body (denomination).   After a period of trials and tribulations this earthly body split.   The implications were the body of Christ had become a divided body, and according to Jesus, a divided house cannot stand.  It is easy to see the problem good men have created.      

It easy to discard Revelation 6:12-17 as these signs are nothing new.   And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, (meteorites striking the earth) even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains (storm shelters and fallout shelters).   And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

It is just as easy to be confused by the numerous and exciting messages being presented in the house of God.  What is strange about these messages is they all speak of what God is doing.   I am constantly bombarded with claims of what God is doing.  Why does God spend so much time fixing problems when all he has to do is speak the word?  Why is there an on slaughter of preachers promising financial favors from God especially on the social media?  We are encouraged to "Type Amen" and share the message as if we can prod God into action.  Let look at a few examples of what God was seen doing by the New Testament writers.

Acts 7:55-56  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

In this verse, the author writes that Stephen looking into Heaven he saw the Glory of God, it does not say he saw God. It further states that he saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God.  Standing is a position of action.  Stephen a righteous man was killed because of his testimony.  What is interesting is he did not pray for his deliverance.  

Revelation 4:2-3 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Revelation 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

John is referencing seeing God through his glory sitting on the throne.  

There is a type of lunacy that has invaded the household of faith and Christians are upholding it.  There is sadness when I hear people who have given their whole life to the church, and in their golden years, they began to question their faith.  We can pretend that this condition does not exist, bury our heads in the sand, quote shaped scriptures to prove our point, but the truth is, many older church members are secretly questing their faith as they sit alone at home waiting to die, and the younger generation no longer maintain the faith of their parents.

A lady in her eighties told me, "I use to go to church and feel the spirit of God, now I go to church and don't feel nothing but I go to church and pay my tithes because we are supposed to."    I couldn't resist, I asked, "Why are we suppose to go to a church building?" Her response was, "It's in the Bible."  "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)   The interpretation of this verse and other verses is shaped to force the believer that in order to save one's soul one must attend a particular organized divided assembly designated as the church.  Now couple that with Malachi 3:8 and we have the making of a beautiful business plan that many has capitalized on.  There is no meat in the organized church because the scriptures are twisted, the storehouse has been robbed, and the people are suffering.  

When attempting to analyze those verses, the first question we should ask is, when Paul wrote those now famous words, what was the church like?  Where did the early Christians meet?  The message of Malachi 3:8 was not a message to the congregation, it was a message to the priest. Malachi 2:1  And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.  The priest was asked questions, the priest asked questions and the answer was given

A prearrange indoctrination sessions have rendered the Word of God null and void.  We often go to church to get our blessings, we are conditioned to believe this, it is necessary to support the church bottom line.  What blessing do we receive from listening to a preacher scream and hollow about God delivering Jonah from the belly of the whale?  How often do we shake the preacher's hand and say, we enjoyed the message?  Did we really enjoy the message or was it the presentation of the message?  How long before we forget what the message was about.  Would we be more excited if a well-known mega-church pastor came to our assembly and read the 23rd Psalms?   

Learning to use code words or trigger words can excite a congregation, the same as the yelling touchdown at a football game.   In the church, this explosive reaction is attributed to the spirit of God.  In my early days, I witnessed the same type of reaction at a James Brown concert.  The audience erupted in a state of euphoria at the mere sight of a mortal man walking on stage.

The church, whether it is a tribulation force or pre-tribulation force has strayed away from its intended purpose (Revelation 2-3)  It was Jesus who established the church and the church should be for the benefit of Christ.  Enterprising young men and women have taken control of God's heritage and are seeking to establish their own hierarchy.  This is akin to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  He like so many today has lost sight of who they were and where they had come from. His “fugue state,” was caused by him taking credit for the kingdom he had been given, he forgot that God is the King of Kings, and everything he had was from Him (Daniel 4:17, 28–30).

God dramatized the king’s state of mind by an introduced fugue state.   He was driven into the fields as a homeless man to live with wild animals and graze like a cow (vv. 32–33). Finally, after seven years Nebuchadnezzar looked up to the skies and his memory of who he was and who had given him his kingdom returned. With his senses restored, he declared, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven” (v. 37).

The noun fugue describes a psychiatric disorder that involves memory loss and travel. If you wake up in New Jersey and cannot remember how you got there, one possibility is that you were in a fugue state.  With the proliferation of titles and the word of God, many are inclined to forget who is the King of Kings.   If you think you have the power to run God's house any way you please then you are like Nebuchadnezzar you are experiencing a fugue state.  

Who do we think we are? Where did we come from? Since we are inclined to forget, who can we count on to help us remember, the pastor, the priest, the bishop, the King of Kings?   Father, we are so inclined to forget whom we are, where we have come from, and that we belong to you. Help us to remember that in Christ, we are your children, the sheep of his pasture, now and forever.

To be continued...

Times of the Gentiles or The End of Days

The refusal to accept the fact that God has long grown weary of the antics of humanity and retired to his throne, as depicted in Revelation 4:2 has led many down a path of darkness.   We are clamoring for the blessing that God promised Israel, whereas God long ago acting upon his frustration for his chosen people gave them a bill of divorcement.  "And I saw when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also." (Jeremiah 3:8)  There is no reference in the scripture that declares the blessings of God to be transferable.

Many are failing to see the dark clouds rising on the horizon because we are not prepared to accept the angry God concept.  Yet, throughout the scripture, God has displayed his anger.  Whenever I mention the angry God concept in a bible study or Sunday school an usually there is an attempt to silence me.  While sitting through church service there is a constant reminder of how much God loved me and even while I sleep God is working things out.   I tend to shudder when I am told this, nowhere in the scripture have I found God spending such a vast amount of time working things out, when God spoke, it was done.

Jolted awake in the early hours of the morning the newscaster informed me that the intensity of war has increased.  Much of the East coast is suffering from another snow storm in the middle of April, in the heartlands, fire are raging and even in my part of the world, we are still unable to plant our crops or garden.  Tornados are ripping the central states apart, and soon we will be facing the hurricanes.  Crime is on the rise as parents are killing their children and children are murdering their parents.  Yet the powder-puff messages emulating from the house of God only speaks of God's love.  We are well into the book of Revelation, the tribulation is upon us and what I see is the antics of an angry God. "For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:17)  

Avid students of the Word of God ascribe to the ideology that the church will not be present here on earth during the tribulation spoken of by Jesus.  In Luke 21 Jesus preached a sermon about the End of Days. The end of the world is easier to comprehend when we can compare it to the world around us. That is what Jesus did. He pointed to known things and said, amplify that, multiply that-exponentially, and then you will understand what is coming.  "And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." (Luke 21:11)  Jesus was saying to the multitude, you see these things now but multiply that-exponentially.  Jesus describes a Global final holocaust-not merely of Jews and Christians-but of humans under the full authority of the pawn of Satan. 

Paul described an event that was scheduled to take place. The event is not hard to understand but it is the timing of the event that causes the problem.  This event represents the church's removal from the earth.  "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1^st  Thessalonians 4:16-17)   We could better understand these verses if we accepted the ideology that this was Christ coming back for his church and that this is the first step of a transformation process.  The Church once transformed and given crowns will return as the Holy Angels of Christ.   This is not the end of salvation, it could be better understood as the beginning of the tribulation.  It is a prelude to Christ returning to judge the nations.

"When the son of man shall come in his glory, and all of the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him he shall gather all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a Shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." (Matthew 25:31-32)  As we have shown in many other studies, the nations do not represent churches as some propose. 

Revelation 7: 9-17 speaks of a great number coming out of the tribulation. "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14)

In searching for information on the "End of Days", I realized that this subject trivialized through mass predictions that have failed, to movies and videos that have no scripture value all for the purpose of publicity and financial gain.  Since Christ left this earth and promised to return, many have been cashing in on the publicity and profit gained by predicting the return of Christ.  The early Christians were left with the belief that the second coming was any day now.  This belief was partial fostered by the words of Jesus when he said, "...When he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:26-27)   Did Christ come back to claim his church before it became a divided entity?"  Are we well into the millennium of tribulation?

The common opinion that the Millennium is to be ushered in by the preaching of the Gospel and that after the Millennium there is to be a "General Resurrection" followed by a "General Judgment," and then the earth is to be destroyed by fire. This interpretation cast aside the different scriptural accounts and seeks to establish a general consensus as to how the judgment of the world will proceed.  This is what most have been taught but is this all scriptural.   

Our failure to understand these verses, amplified by our refusal to accept that Christ is speaking of several events can easily lead us down a path of darkness. In Luke 9:26 Jesus references the Holy Angels, the enforcement arm of his kingdom.  This must take place after he has come back to claim his church.  Also, to clarify, in Luke 9:27 he is referencing his beloved disciple John as one who would not die until he saw the kingdom of God, (Revelation 4)  Remember the timeline is in Revelation.  The disciples were concern about when would Christ establish his kingdom, this should also be our concern.  The statement made by Luke and ascribed to Christ seems to indicate that this event was within the lifespan of some who was standing there listening to him. 

The acceptance of the foregoing statement and the failure of some to see the arrival of the glory of God cause modern day cynics to exclaim that there must be some old people still walking around on earth.  To explain this verse and to maintain the status quo belief in today religion system, we must interpret this verse from an alien perspective.

From the 1^st century through the 19^th century, a few brave souls predicted when the end of the world would come. Beginning with the 20^th century and into the 21^st-century end of day's predictions saw a sharp increase as newly emerging prophets and apostle vied for the attention of the masses.    With advancement in the media,  predicting the end of days, become a profitable business, the same as with the church, the shaping, and twisting of the scripture become commonplace.

The timeline of the end of days is in the book of Revelation.  It is easy too followed, but it places the church in an untenable position.   We are trying to justify the existence of a divided church.   The progression of the church as depicted in Revelation 3:14-19 reflect that of a failed church.  Any interpretation of the end of days, to be acceptable to the mass, must not attack the foundation of a billion-dollar entertainment business whose existence based upon the collection of tithes and offerings and has lost sight on its special and spiritual function. Revelation 3:18.  Thirty thousand plus different denominations and belief structures attest to the fact that as an origination, the modern day church is a failed entity.  If Christ were to return to claim his church today, what church or denomination would he be coming for? 

When the "Times of the Gentiles" are about to end the Jews will be gathered back to the Holy Land "unconverted," and caused to "pass under the rod." Ezekiel 20:34-38. They will be cast into God's "Melting Pot" (Ezekiel 22:19-22), and pass through an experience spoken of by Jeremiah and Daniel as the "TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE." Jeremiah 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1. Christ calls it "The Great Tribulation," and He and Zechariah the Prophet associate it with the "Return of the Lord." Matthew 24:21-31; Zechariah 14:1-11. The human agent the Lord will use will be the Antichrist, the awfulness of whose rule will be supplemented by the pouring out of the "Vials of God's wrath" upon the earth. Revelation 15:1,5-8; 16:1-21.

The Culture of Hate

As a religious writer, I struggle to not become involved in politically generated frays, yet many of my constituents or peers and associates seem to relish the opportunity of open condemnation while buying into the concept of, "Thou shall not Judge".  The moral, spiritual and political consciousness of our world and society has shifted causing a new culture to emerge.  Social, political and ethnic groups that once viewed themselves as depressed entities and victims of hate provide the fuel this new culture.  They now seek to eradicate hate through creating new laws, shaming and direct confrontation, thus creating more hate in the process.

Love and hate are emotions of the heart that radiate like the sun, even when not seen its presence can be felt.  Many of us know the feeling of walking into a room filled with hate or the joy of walking into a room filled with love.  Hate is nurtured through exposure, and when agitated it spreads.  Hate is infectious like a virus that breaks down the Hearts immune system.  Once the immune system is compromised, all of the depravities of humanity rushes in to fill any available space rooting out all that is good in the process.  Hate infect young and old,  it cannot be destroyed nor contained by laws. The prodigies of hate include child suicide, murders.

The common denominator for murder is the sin that manifests itself as hate. Hate is an emotion that spring forth from the heart of man.  Wikipedia defines hate as deep and extreme emotional dislike, especially invoking feelings of anger or resentment. It can be directed against individuals, groups, entities, objects, behaviors, or ideas. Hatred is often associated with feelings of anger, disgust and a disposition towards humanity.  Nurturing hate will cause one to destroy themselves as well as others.  

Hate is a spiritual entity that infects the heart of humanity.  Like the wind, we cannot see it but we can feel it.  We cannot control the wind, we cut down trees to build houses to protect us, thereby exposing us to more severe winds.  The condemning of sin in the flesh or self-judging is the only control for hate. Paul speaking to the Roman Jews who place a great value upon the Law of God and man, eloquently stated to some dismay, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" (Romans 8:3) Sadly this solution is often overlooked as we clamor for more laws.   Laws do not prevent, they set a boundary and provide for the punishment of those who trespass.

The laws of this nation once were formulated around the Bible, a strong adherence to the Ten Commandments, but that has changed.  Laws are now formulated to appease the seared conscious of humanity.  Words such as judging, hate and even sin have become a burden and many are disagreeing with their meaning and what they believe.  Christianity has failed to reach a consensus and is becoming mired in a bog of confusion as it seeks to redefine itself as a religion of tolerance.  All of these acts have rendered the application of the Word of God impotent and irrelevant. 

If the message emulating from the church is not about God's love and what he is doing for us, then the message is cast aside as "that's just his or her opinion.  We have become as the scripture states, a people "whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 3:19-20)  Consider this, if God was doing all of the things that we claim he is doing, then humanity is off the hook and the world is a beautiful place.

We have arrived at a juncture in our tenure here on earth where it is no longer fashionable to refer to Christ as the only begotten Son of God.  Politicians, popular talk show host, and enterprising speakers have advanced the ideology that we must share the position of our deity with other notable personalities.  Other detractors spend great moments seeking to define what color is a supernatural being.  This is necessary to advance the culture of hate.  Many churches, once the gatekeeper of our society has long been known for accepting money from the government, they have abandoned their post and in many instances, they have become caught up in the culture of hate.   

The question that I pose, after the first time I was chastised for using the word hate in bible study lesson, is it possible to eradicate hate?  As a Bible scholar, I must rely on the Bible for guidance.  There are instances of profound hatred throughout the Holy Scripture.  God spoke to the Prophet Malachi and said, "And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." (Malachi 1:3)   Even Jesus in his disdain for what the church had become, declared, "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." (Revelation 2:6)   A profound act of hatred accrued when Lucifer rebelled against God.  This was hatred on a supernatural level.  There are numerous scriptural references to this epic battle, but Revelation 12:7-10  recounts the event.  Parallels are drawn to the passage in Isaiah 14:4-17 that mentions the "son of the morning" that had "fallen from heaven" and was "cast down to the earth".

A war started in heaven and now the people of the earth are included in the war. How could Satan think he could win against God? What strategy might he be using?  Satan has attacked God and His government. In getting Eve to sin, Satan specifically got Eve to distrust God.  To distrust sows the seeds of hatred.  She was led to believe that God was holding back what should have been hers.  This scenario is still being played out today.  Satan must have used the same kind of attack against the angels in heaven.

I cannot help but wonder how Satan could figure that he might win a war against God, the Creator of all things? God is all powerful while Satan and His evil angels are only created beings. So why did Satan attack God? They do not have the power of God and they tremble at the thought of God:  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19.  It appears that Satan is waging a legal war. He is playing on the fairness of God and in doing so, it is his hope he can trap God in a situation that he cannot back away from.  A reading of Daniel 6 will enlighten us on a parallel situation.  The King trapped by his minions into making a law did something that he did not want to do.

The next occurrence of hate, the common denominator of all sin was when Cain slew his brother Abel.  The murder was against the ordinance of God, therefore Cain was punished for his transgression.  Later when God set forth his Laws to the Children of Israel, he issued a declaration that said, "Thou shall not Kill", Exodus 20:13, KJV.  This did not prevent humanity from committing murder.  I listen intently as the pious prelate built his Exegesis of  The Word around the necessity of more laws to combat the spiraling murder rate, whereas God in his supreme wisdom knew that compounding laws upon laws would not solve the problem. 

On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, attached to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.  It superseded state rights thereby creating a new level of hatred.  This act expanded existing United States federal hate crime law to apply to crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, and dropped the prerequisite that the victim must be engaging in a federally protected activity.  Prior to the enacting of these updates, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 sort to remain consistent with the teaching of the Bible. 

Blinded by the hype we failed to see the storm that was unleashed upon humanity.  Beginning in 1968 these laws unleashed a hailstorm of hatred.  On October 28, 2009, these laws expanded and enacted divided the world population in such a manner as it has never been.  The values of old were sacrificed upon the altar of political correctness, and what emerged from the smoke was a culture of hate.  Never in my lifetime have I seen such manifestation of hate.

A Dialog of Why and Where was God.

The tragic events of the past weeks are underscored by either the silence emulating from the household of faith or the sound of the pious prelates and others politicizing the events and demanding more laws.  Paul, speaking to the Romans addressed the issue eloquently.  "...For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." (Romans 8:3)   Once the hate generated rhetoric, the publicity campaigns funded by those with ulterior motives and remains of those who perished are laid to rest the only true change will be the intensification of hate. 

Whether it is a child committing suicide, a school shooting or a terrorist bombing, the common denominator in all of these acts is hate.   With all of the laws put in place to curb and control hate, our children worldwide have become the victim of a hate culture.  There is a type of sadness, a dark cloud that has overshadowed us as the realization set in, we have strayed too far from our core, we have polluted our religion, and defied the Laws of God.  Have we passed the point of no return?  Are the prophecies are being fulfilled and there are no laws that can help us?   Consider the laws put in place to protect us from prostitution, gambling, and drugs.  How do we measure the success of these laws, money spent, lives or families destroyed, God forbid, can we not see the error of our ways? 

In the course of human events when beset by trouble and situations that we simply do not understand, we often turn to God and ask "WHY".   In the passing of our love-ones, in the midst of our trials and tribulations, many of us find consolation in accepting the ideology that God saw the situation and had a better plan.   Based upon the indoctrination of God's love this may suffice for some, but it does little to appease the heart of the mother or father whose loved one was killed in a horrific accident or senseless shooting.   Even death in its most subtle form can be heartbreaking and will cause those that are suffering to question God.

My contention is asking questions are the foundation of learning therefore through this article I will ask a series of question. (rhetorical or otherwise but they are important.)   Why is it more comforting to accept that God saw our loved ones suffering and called them home?  Is death God's way of calling his children home or is death just a process ordained by God?  Does God give us a certain number, or are there other elements that determine the length of our stay here on earth?  Does asking God why allow us to place the blame on God rather than humanity?  In Solomon search for answers he surmised life as such: "I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11)  Jesus said, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)

   

"Where was God?"  This is one of the first questions to emerge whenever there is a church shooting, school shooting, terrorist bombing or even a natural disaster.  On those days when the sun is shining brightly in our lives, placated by the thought that God loves us and is working in the background to make everything come out all right, even while we are asleep, allows some of us to become at ease.  The acceptance of whatever happens in this life is God's will can reaffirm our faith or it can become a destructive force.  This force has shattered the faith of many.  Those that are basking the sunshine of favors often have a hard time grasping the depth and reality of this question.  After a horrific shooting, In an attempt to console the pious proclaim God's will must be done.  Hearing those words an emerging voice proclaim, "if this is how your God work then I don't want no part of him."

The questions of "Where was God", or "Why" is never really answered.  They are the elephants in the room, overlooked and buried under the guise that we are not to question God.  The basic reason being is that much of modern day Christianity ideology is based on a type of confusion that permeates a feel-good relationship thru the shaping of the scriptures.  Everything about modern day Christianity is shaped and scripted to make you feel good.  The church has become the new entertainment center where we come to get our praise on, collect blessing and be entertained.   Our prayers have become a scripted dialog used for the edification of self and those that hear us, as we demand God to act.  Too often our prayers go unanswered are forgotten.  But, we cannot say that because our indoctrination tells us that God hears and answer all prayers.     

Did God promise to do all of the things we claim he promised?  Is God directing the affairs of man?  We as a worker in the vineyard should take these questions seriously.  If you ask any follower of Christ these question the answer will be I know God is a deliverer, because he delivered me or I know God is a healer because he healed me.  However, is this assessment a true indication of God power or is this just a feel-good response.  More and more people are becoming unimpressed with the unsubstantiated claims of what God is doing for us.   Looking to God for deliverance seems to be the modus-operand of the Christian journey, but a search of the New Testament fails to validate this point. 

In times of distress, we pray for God to make our enemies our footstool. Did God really promise to make our enemies our footstool?  There is no clear reading of the scripture to validate that point.  "And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." (Luke 20:42-43) This statement could reference David or even Jesus Christ but I doubt if it was to all of us here on this earth.

How often have we heard how God protects his children, but is this the truth according to the scriptural?   True God delivered Daniel from the mouth of the Lions, but John, the forerunner of Christ, lingered in jail until beheaded at the King's request.  God fought numerous battles to save the Children of Israel, but he dispatched no angels to save his son or the apostle's life.   In Revelation John recorded Jesus as standing by waiting for more of the saints to be beheaded.  It would seem as if after the birth of Christ, persecution, and death became a part of the road to salvation.

"And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." (Revelation 6:10-11) 

 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)

While undergoing Cancer treatment I cried out to God to heal me.  Once the surgery and radiation were successful I was encouraged to testify how God had healed me.  Regardless of what they told me, in the midst of my pain, in the midst of my suffering God was silent.   When I close my eyes and slipped into a drug-induced coma, in my mind's eye I saw the Christ sitting at the head of my bead, but he was silent.  My lesson in faith through all of my suffering was to understand the silence of God.

When a young man entered a church and shot many of the worshippers the religious world was stunned.  Many would have believed that God would have stepped in and prevented such atrocious act from happening.  God command and his command was for the young man not to do the deed, but freewill which was entrusted to humanity allows us to do as we choose.  In the Garden of Eden, God commanded Adam, but Adam chose to sin.  It is never a question of what God can or cannot do, the focus should be placed on how God works.  Through Adam and Eve's ordeal with the Devil, God was silent.

  

We place a too greater burden on God and our leaders when we expect them to act in our behalves and protect us from ourselves.  We are also guilty of trivializing God and his work when we proclaim that everything that happens in the world today is God's will.   We belittle ourselves when we blame our leaders.  If my heart is corrupt and filled with enough hate that my desire is to commit murder, most likely I will succeed.  To say that it was God's will is sacrilegious.  Hate is the underlining cause of all of the atrocities taking place.   When hate is exposed to the light of day it grows. 

The point that I am advancing is that based on a mixing of the Old and New Testament we have a God who is removing obstacles, making our path straight, and pouring out material blessings upon us.   What we are refusing to accept is that we are dealing with a God who went silent after he divorced his chosen people.  After four hundred years the next time he spoke was in anger when he told Peter, James, and John, "This is my beloved son, hear him."  They killed the son and he returned to his father as a supernatural being, who sent his spirit to guide and comfort us.

   

Where was God?  While calling upon God, Stephen was stoned to death. (Acts 7:54-60)  There is nothing in the elucidations of Acts that leads one to believe that God did anything to prevent the so-call religious leaders from killing Stephen.  Throughout the ordeal of Stephen, God was silent.  "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God," (Acts 7:55) Where was God? According to the Book of Revelation God is sitting on his throne preparing to pour out his wrath, restrained only by the intercession of Christ.   Revelation 7

Part #5, The End of Days

The presentation of numerous ideologies concerning the End of Days by inept and self-proclaimed ministers leave many of us in a discombobulated state as the vast number of churches and denominations vie for the covenant position as the bride of Christ.  Since the early days of the beginning, everything regarding Christianity and the church has undergone changes.  Many of these changes have to do with the interpretation and re-interpretation of the basic word of God.  While making these changes we are quick to proclaim that God never changes. 

There are those who wish to amass a following or make an impression will resort to using a radical interpretation that appeases a class or ethnic group.  Many of us go to church looking for a supernatural blessing from God in the form of an earthly reward.  Therefore, much of what goes on in churches or in the name of Christianity is unrelated to salvation, it is about getting stuff from God.  Jesus said, "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." (Matthew 24:4-5)  Church members are compelled to support a hierarchy steeped in financial, emotional and entertainment values but lacking in spiritual significance.  The deception is based on shaped and twisted scriptures.

Clearly seen in Revelation is the progression of the church into an apostate state, it is detailed in letters sent to seven representative churches.  If we are living in the seventh church age or if the seventh letter is applicable to us today, then the end of days is surely upon us.

Growing up in the Pentecostal church, testimony service was an important part of worship.  The testimony of the saints usually ended with a reference to, "living in the last and evil days".  As a child, this message was driven home through Bible study and sermons.  As time past we began to discount the last day's scenario because it seems as if Jesus had forgotten about coming back.   The time element caused the faith of many to grow cold.  "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2^nd Peter 3:8) 

In the "End of Days", both Jesus and Paul stressed that a charismatic leader will come in the name of peace, love, and prosperity.  Even before he mounts the world stage, many will revere him.   He will sway the fringe elements of society with his eloquent speech and his following will be astronomical.  He will form an alliance with religious leaders and stand in the most sacred of places of the nations, the Holy lands, and churches and declare himself to be above the word of God.  This will be done by advocating laws that are contrary to the word of God. 

Paul wrote, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2^nd Thessalonians 2:3-4)  

The world populace and many Christians will be deceived and many will speak in defiance of God.   Jesus wrote:, "When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand :)" (Matthew 24:15)  The gate of Hell is open, hate, darkness and confusion follow.

Acts of violence to others or to oneself has become widespread and much of the world populace is reacting with righteous indignation.  When these acts such as bombings, school shootings, suicides or even wars happen, darkness and confusion overshadow us causing us to overlook the root cause which is hate.  Hate is the common denominator.  Whether self-hate or hatred of others we delude our selves into thinking that a law can protect us from this malady.  The effectiveness of laws can be attested through the control of gambling, drugs, prostitution and other vices.  "For what the law could not do, in that, it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" (Romans 8:3) 

There are numerous markers in the scripture to indicate the End of Days. Humanity, with its access to such a vast amount of knowledge, can remove God from the equation and find a way to explain the accruing events.  The most profound indicator is God's chosen people and the Holy Land, but numerous groups and churches are making false claims to the blessing of Abraham.

Some of the signs of the time offered by Jesus can be found in the New Testament and validated by Old Testament prophecies.  "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death." (Matthew 10:21) 

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in diver's places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows." (Mark 13:8)  Earthquakes are taking place in such place that was not known for earthquakes.  The earth is groaning.

In Matthew 24:2, Jesus told the disciples after they commented about the beauty of the Temple, that not one stone would be left upon another. The Romans under Titus fulfilled this in A.D. 70.  Later Jesus refers to the end of days, when the Third Temple would be defiled, causing the abomination of desolation.   14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand)." (Matthew 24:14-15)

The abomination of desolation is referred to three times in the book of Daniel, (Daniel 9:27, 11; 31, 12:11). Each mention refers to the defiling of the Temple. Paul also notes the need for a Third Temple and the role the Temple will play.  The man of sin will enter the Temple and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.  This is also consistent with the words of Jesus and Daniel about the role this Temple will play.

Chastisement usually follows when I mention the rebuilding of the Temple.  The pious prelates are quick to explain why we do not need another Jewish Temple, but the Temple, Jerusalem, the Jews, the Gentiles and the church all pay an important role in the end of days.  

Hosea also foretells the long absence of a Temple and Israel’s gathering. The many days refers to our own day.  The only other time, since Hosea day there was no Temple was for the 70-year period, between 586 B.C. and 516 B.C. Seventy years does not qualify as a long absence when the only other time is over 1900 years. 

When the charismatic leader of the United States and the Pope turned their backs on Isreal and supported its enemies, the same as The British Empire did on November 2, 1917, it signaled the corruption and downfall of a World Superpower.  The British Empire, the superpower of its epoch, made promises that could have given Isreal permanent legitimacy. Instead, England betrayed the Zionist movement and reneged on its recognition of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. We can learn many lessons today from this perfidy. It is doubtful whether America's leaders of today can rectify this perfidy, Revelation 13:1 seems to be unfolding.  A new nation, a sinful nation (The Beast) is being born out of the Sea (confusion).

There are those that believe the End of Days started sometime this century, most likely around the year 1947 AD when Israel became a nation.  During that time three end-time prophecies were said to be fulfilled. The first is found in Jeremiah 16. It is mind-boggling. Read it carefully:

14) “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’

15) but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.”

This same prophecy is repeated verbatim in Jeremiah 16, Jeremiah 23:7-8.

The second prophecy I want to bring to your attention is found in Isaiah 11:

10) Then in that day, the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples…

11) Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather ALL NATIONS, and will bring them down into the `Valley of Jehoshaphat,' and will plead with them there for MY PEOPLE and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the Nations, and parted my land." Joel 3:1-2.

This prophecy clearly states that there is to be a "Judgment of Nations" on the earth in the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" at the time of the final and complete restoration of the Jews to their own land, and that the basis of judgment is the treatment by the nations of Christ's brethren-- The Jews.

Part #4, The Rapture

The Rapture is another eschatological term used by certain Christians, particularly within branches of American Evangelicalism, to depict or describe an end time event when all elect Christian believers, living and the resurrected dead, will rise into the sky and join Christ in Heaven.  This can be a hotly debated subject in bible study sessions where we are more concern about the present rather than the future.  The point of contention seems to be the use of the translated word "Rapture". 

John Darby supposedly invented the rapture doctrine in 1830, but there is a problem with this assessment seemly how the scripture predicts this event.  “For the Lord, Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1^st Thessalonians 4:16–17).  Either we can allow these verses to stand or we can explain them away.

In Matthew 25:1-10, Jesus give us, an account of the coming of the bridegroom to claim his bride, which is the church and this scenario, illustrates a type of rapture or being "caught up".  It was not a call to the general populace; it was a call to a selected few.  There were those that were ready and there were those who were not ready. "And while they went to buy, (or get ready) the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut." (Matthew 25:10)  Now we need to remember that a marriage ceremony is a transforming event, "we become as one". Those that went in with him were transformed into Holy angels, given crown and ruled with him in Heaven for a thousand years.

Belief in the rapture tends to debunk the dying and going straight to heaven ideology that has become prevalent.  Lack of belief allows us to shape the scripture. In today's society, our loved ones are usually in Heaven looking down on us long before the casket is in the ground.  Even rock stars are called home early because they are needed to sing in the heavenly choir. 

Matthew 25:31 begins with Christ returning with his Holy angels to establish his kingdom on earth.  "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" A detailed study of this event can be found in "The Five Judgments Part #4." Where is the throne of Glory?  There are different thrones mention in the Holy Scripture.  The Throne of Glory which is on Earth is the key to understanding this verse, it must not be confused with The Great White Throne which is in Heaven. 

Some adherents believe this event is predicted and described in Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians in the Bible, where he uses the Greek "harpazo" (ἁρπάζω), meaning to snatch away or seize. Though it has been used differently in the past, the term is now used by certain believers to distinguish this particular event from the "Second Coming" of Jesus Christ to Earth mentioned in Second Thessalonians, Gospel of Matthew, First Corinthians, and Revelation.  In the second coming of Christ, he returns with his Holy angels.  The rapture is usually viewed as preceding the Second Coming and followed by a thousand year millennial kingdom.  The error in this thesis occurs when we place the millennial kingdom here on earth before the tribulation.

Adherents of this perspective are sometimes referred to as premillennialist dispensationalists, but amongst them, there are differing viewpoints about the exact timing of the purported event.  The reason for the lack of a Consensus is the desire to protect the church and its mission.  If the church is still here on earth then 1^st Thessalonians 4:16-17 has not been fulfilled, thus the event is still in the future.   If this event is in the future then the fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation also must be in the future. Thus the church, a divided body, all 30,000 different denominations is still a functioning entity.

The rapture of the church is the event in which God “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment or wrath to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period. The rapture is described primarily in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1^st Corinthians 15:50–54. God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with all living believers, who will also be given glorified bodies at that time.  This will be the beginning of the tribulation.  Salvation will still be available for those who live during the tribulation and wish to live forever and be ruled by Christ.  Remember the huge number John saw that no man could number coming out of the tribulation.

The verse that set the timing of this and other controversial events is often overlooked because it places the modern day church with its grand edifices and rock-star preachers in an untenable position.  In Revelation 1-3, after the church had digressed into a state of apostasy and suffered the indictment of Jesus, John vision, and the church ceased to exist on earth.  "After this, I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." (Revelation 4:1)

"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." (Revelation 18:23)

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." (Revelation 21:9)

The events outlined in Revelation 20 is not a new or continuation of the prophecy, it is a recap of all of the events that are set to take place at the end-time and in the order that they are to set to happen.  Some believe this event took place before the church become polluted and divided, other believe the last days started sometime this century, most likely in 1947 AD when Israel became a nation and the Jews returned to their homeland, (Jeremiah 16, Jeremiah 23:7-8).  Whether this is true or not the tribulation began with Satan being bound for a thousand years.  (Revelation 20:1-2).  During the tribulation, the church is safe in heaven ruling with Christ (Revelation 20:4).   The binding of Satan is to give humanity a chance to mend its ways and turn to the one true God, but the antichrist spirit has infected the hearts of humanity and initiated a war against the Holy Spirit.  The time of the Gentiles is upon us.  "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison," (Revelation 20:7), and all of the forces of darkness will be unleashed for a short period, then there will be judgment.    

 The account of this judgment is in Revelation 20:11-15. It will take place at the close of the Millennium and before the "Great White Throne." The "Great White Throne" will not be on the earth, for the "Great White Throne Judgment" will take place during the renovation of the earth by fire.  The "renovation" of this Earth is reserved or kept until the time of that judgment, which Peter calls "The Day of Judgment and Perdition of Ungodly Men" (2^nd Peter 3:7), because the judgment of the "Great White Throne" is the judgment of the wicked dead.

 All the Righteous dead will arise at the First Resurrection. If any Righteous die between the First Resurrection and the Resurrection of the "wicked" or Second Resurrection, they will rise with the wicked dead at that Resurrection and become a part of that great number seen by John.   The words-- "Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life" (vs. 15) imply that there will be "some," righteous at the second resurrection.

 At the close of the Millennium and just before the renovation of the earth by fire, the living Righteous will be translated to a place of safety like in the days of Noah and the living Wicked or Ungodly will be destroyed in the flames that will consume the earth's atmosphere and an exterior surface.  

This entire thesis has been leading up to a rhetorical question.  Have you ever considered the possibility that the rapture has already taken place and we are enduring the tribulation?  Numerous ancient societies or civilizations seem to have vanished, leaving behind only relics of their existence.    Science attempt to explain these events is nothing but speculations and conjectures.  The dark cloud that overshadowed the ancient cities of Africa, Egypt and even North America poses many unanswered questions.  In America, names such as "Maya", "Aztec" and "Inca" immediately come to mind.  In the Bible, it began with the Tower of Babel, a dispersal implemented by God that left behind the remains of a lost civilization.    Is there something that connects these sites - a hidden key that will disclose the riddles of our past?   Did God call his children home leaving those left behind to wander in darkness?

Continues in Part #5

The End Of Days

Part #3 Armageddon

Since my early childhood days, the battle of Armageddon has always filled me with a sense of dread.   The scary end of times scenario explained to me in such a manner that caused fear to overcome me. Much of my fear was because of the lack of understanding of this Bible prophecy by those who sought to use it as a whip to scare church members into compliance.   The shaped truth can be an effective tool when seeking to intimidate and influence the mind of Christian worshippers.  We must remember when it comes to rightly dividing the word of truth; there is the truth, the myth, and the big lie.

The ancient Kings James Bibles often showed pictures of angels and humans engaged in bloody battles.  Supernatural beings against mortal man did not depict a level playing field.  These biblical pictures often fueled many of my childhood nightmares.  My hope was simple; I did not want to be around when this battle began.  Even making that assessment did little to calm my fear, because not being here would mean that I was dead, the same outcome of that of the battle with the Angels.   The outcome of all scenarios was that irreconcilable unknown.

Just as there are many different denominations in the Christian or Religious community, there are numerous interpretations of the end time prophecies.  As stated earlier in part #1 of this study, one error many Bible students make is to insert the "church" in the place of "nations" or "Jews".  Paul's meaning should be clear, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:" (1^st Corinthians 10:32)  In essence whats for the Jews must remain for the Jews, the same as with the church.  Another error is to place all of the events mention in the end time prophecies in our future, rather than acknowledging the possibility of the fulfillment of the prophecies in our lifetime. 

As long as we can keep all of the events of the end-time prophecies in a future realm, we are justifying our inane existence in a feudal attempt to prolong the inevitable.  Bible prophecies set in motion one millennial, not two or three as some propose.  After the millennium then there is an eternity.  There is a timeline and there is a starting point which we can choose to overlook.  Where are we in the timeline set forth in  Revelation?  These questions should be at the forefront of our Bible Study.  Join me as I in a rambling fashion attempt to sort through the conflicting and often self-serving rhetoric with the hope of arriving at a common sense conclusion.

What is Armageddon? In the King James Version, the word is mention only one time.  "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." (Revelation 16:16)  Who gathered them (who) together?  This event precedes Revelation 16:12.  "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."  The uptake from this verse is that when the sixth angel poured out his vital the Euphrates River become crossable.  The Euphrates River is a marker used in the Old and New Testaments.  September 26, 2017, The Russian military has built a bridge across the Euphrates River near Deir al-Zor to move troops and vehicles to the other side to support a Syrian army offensive.

According to the Book of Revelation, Armageddon is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or a symbolic location. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario. 

The traditional viewpoint interprets this Bible prophecy to be symbolic of the progression of the world toward the "great day of God, the Almighty" in which the great looming mountain of God's just and holy wrath is poured out against unrepentant sinners, led by Satan, in a literal end-of-the-world final confrontation. Armageddon is the symbolic name given to this event supposedly based on scripture references regarding divine obliteration of God's enemies.  Are we guilty of creating our own end time scenario? 

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather ALL NATIONS, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,' and will plead with them there for MY PEOPLE and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the Nations, and parted my land." (Joel 3:1-2)  This verse references a point in time when Israel was not counted among the nations, she was a scattered people and the land promised her by God was divided among other nations.  The use of the word plead seems to imply a type of negotiation.  This verse does not depict a war or judgment of the Nations and it should not be merged with Matthew 25:31-32.

The history of the 1948-9 Arab-Israeli war is deeply controversial. Israelis and their supporters have traditionally referred to the conflict as the War of Independence, seeing it as a defensive war to prevent the destruction of the fledgling Jewish state in the face of overwhelming Arab aggression. Many believers have interpreted the victory of the new Jewish state over five Arab armies as a miracle. 

"When the son of man shall come in his glory, and all of the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him he shall gather all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a Shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." (Matthew 25:31-32)  This is the Judgment of the nations and remembers the judgment of the nations is based upon how they treated the brethren. 

The visualization of this verse is clear, but the use of the words holy angels can cause several questions to emerge.  Through Bible study and reading we are told, "The Saints shall judge the world".  We will revisit that question in the timeline set forth in Revelation 20.  Now another question that is emerging is are we looking for the battle of Armageddon to take place or has it already happen.  We shall ask the same question about other end-time events.

At the close of the Great Tribulation, the devil will deceive the entire world into worshipping him.  Some interpretations will say he will come in the form of The Antichrist, but there is no scripture to support the coming of "The" antichrist.  When John made the statement about antichrist, he said antichrist, which was a spirit, was already here.  "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1^st John 4:3)  There is the Devil and there is the spirit of the Devil.  There is Christ and there is antichrist. Throughout the tribulation, it is the spirit of antichrist that will cause men to turn away from God. 

The battle of Armageddon taking place at the close of the millennium is not entirely scripturally sound.   This scenario achieved through the twisting of scriptures and combining bible verses that should not be combined to support the myth surrounding Christianity.

Revelation 20 is not a separate prophecy, it encapsulates all of the events that have taken place or set to take place.  It is a recap of all of the events prophesied by John in the order that they are to take place.  For this study, we have divided Revelation 20 into four sections: 

1.     The account, of the binding of Satan for a thousand years, Revelation 20:1-3. 

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." (Revelation 20:1).  Most theologians set the time of this event in the future, and is said to be at the close of the millennial.  This is one of those confusing aspects of Christ rulership.  Why would he rule on earth for a thousand years then turn the Devil lose?  

2.     The reign of the saints with Christ at the same time, Revelation 20:4-6.

In these verses, it seems that while the saints are reigning with Christ in Heaven the Devil on Earth is bound.  This is not acceptable to most Christian who proclaim the Devil is loose on earth and is causing destruction.  Also the word of Paul who stated, The Devil is as a roaring Lion walking to and fro upon the earth seeking whom he may devour." 

3.     Of the loosing of Satan and the conflict of the nation, become intense, with Gog and Magog, Revelation 20:7-10.

The evilness on man has flourished and before the final consummation of things, the Devil and the nations are given their last chance. 

4.     Of the Day of Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15

For the above verses and the timeline to hold true, the events must proceed as follows.  First, the devil is bound, Christ comes for his Church, "the Saints", and at the close of the millennial, the devil is released.  Christ comes back with his Holy angles to judge the nations.  

What makes the interpretation of Revelation so complicated is the attempt to include the church in the end-time prophecies.  In John's past, Jesus was seen interacting with the church.  In John present day, Jesus addressed the church and issued an indictment against a Church that had lost it way.   In Chapter 4 John is caught up into Heaven and the prophecy proceeds with John's view from Heaven.  The Church is no longer mention as being on earth. 

Have you ever considered the possibility that we are enduring the tribulation?  Remember the huge number John saw?  He was asked the question, "Who are these?"  "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14)