What is Really Coming - Greater Works or A Great Falling Away Or Both? Nearly 2000 years ago, the Holy Spirit fell on a 120 believers who were gathered together in the upper room; in Jerusalem, the city of G-d's peace, the Holy Spirit came down in a glorious flooding wave. On that very calendar day and on the very feast of the Lord appointed as the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit arrived at nine o'clock in the morning. It was fifty days after the Feast of First fruits, the Feast of Pentecost emerged into it's New Covenant fulfillment. When Peter preached that day 3,000 were saved. They came to salvation the same way people have always been saved. They were saved by the grace of G-d through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus, Israel's promised Sacrificed Lamb. The number saved, 3,000, is important. The Pentecostal outpouring was a visitation of grace. Those 3,000 saved by grace were a counterpoint to the 3,000 that died under the law back at Mount Sinai. The outpouring came on the same Hebrew calendar day that former epic day of trembling and G-d's visitation. It had been the 7th of Sivan when Moses brought down the Torah or the Law from the mountain. Both these blockbuster events occurred on the very same Hebrew calendar day. The Day of Pentecost coming on the 7th of Sivan also was the birthday of Israel. Now this same holy day, the Feast of Pentecost, became the birthday of the Christian Church. http://www.oldtestamentfeasts.com . This shared birthday of Israel and the Christian Church should not come as a surprise to any believer but, the Christian Church was Romanized (Babalonized) at the Council of Nicea. So many Christian believers in the west only have a Greco-Roman-Babylon, or a gentile/heathen perspective on the importance of G-d's chosen dates/feasts. http://www.leavebabylon.com/. Many believers are in at least partial blindness to our Hebrew Roots. The Christian Church back on that epic Day of Pentecost was not yet a gentile/heathen/religious/Babylon company. In its historical context the Church is easily seen to be the launching of the globally expansion phase of the Congregation of Israel. or what Apostle Paul termed the Commonwealth of Israel. This was a direct fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. See Isaiah 49:6. The Church was a new phenomenon in its international scope. But the salvation came from the same Source in Israel. The people coming in with the Holy Spirit outpouring came from outside of national Israel. But they were still part of a single Elect, now becoming an international company of saints. The Congregation of Israel, no matter what their DNA, took their salvation from the indwelling Christ, the promised Seed of Israel. (Gal.3:29) That entire company was based in Israel. But it was now about to go global. The prophecy over Israel's patriarch Joseph was that he would be a fruitful bough crossing over the wall. But this single Elect did not just cross borders and geographical space. The Chosen people also crossed the many centuries traversing time. The Elect were part of a continuous line of people going all the way back to righteous Abel, Enoch, and the early patriarchs. At Pentecost during 32 A.D., that crucial crucifixion year, the international agenda of the Holy One of Israel had shifted into overdrive. The Church, the Congregation of Israel had begun to expand mightily with the Holy Spirit outpouring. That same outpouring partially continues now. This banner Day of Pentecost was a day of great wonders. The disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, spilled out of the upper room into the streets of Jerusalem. They proceeded to bring the witness of Jesus Christ to the whole city. This was a magnificent revival on a scale never seen before in Israel's history. It was in this tremendous boost of spiritual power that the Christian Church would be launched as a global company. Like the river Jordan overflowing its banks in the time of the harvest, the Holy Spirit's overflow would flow beyond Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. The downloaded Message of the Gospel was carried along in its power. The people of Jerusalem were the first to experience the divine shaking Presence of the G-d who came to save and to deliver. The Congregation of Israel expanded beyond the borders of Israel to spread out towards the ends of the earth. This was the Good News. Israel's salvation message was now available to all who repented of their sin and called out to the G-d of Israel for salvation. Israel's promised Son had come and defeated the powers of darkness in His death, burial and resurrection. Now the other Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, was on the scene. And he was coming in a magnificent flooding wave. Empowered by the Holy Spirit the saints took the Gospel message westwards towards lost Israel and out to the the heathen gentiles in places abroad. They literally shook their world! We are now in the 21st century. We have heard much talk and much preaching concerning a 'Latter Rain Revival' also known as 'Joel's Outpouring' or 'Hosea's Revival' While we have seen some showers of true Holy Spirit revival in the past century they have not come anywhere near the glory we see prophesied for the genuine Latter Rain outpouring as we see it prophesied in the Holy Scriptures. The Pentecostal movement itself, which began early in the 20th century, has faded. It is now just another denomination. And the once glorious Charismatic Renewal here in the rich nations is now compromised and in serious decline. It has also been 'bought out' in part by the 'self' movement and turned into a multi-billion dollar a year religi-business. The true and essential Message, who is "Christ in you, the hope of glory", has been either taken out or mixed in with a lot of other dubious/confusing messages that are less than our 'high calling in Christ'. Now, much of what is left of the charismatic revival has been repackaged for sale to the masses in the religious markets of mammon. The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete whom Jesus said would be sent to come alongside us, (John 15:26), has been grieved. The One who is sent as our Comforter and Guide, even the Spirit of Truth, is not as evident in the now denominational/charismatic services as He once was. This is truly unfortunate. There is a wonderful hope in the message and expectation of a genuine movement of Holy Spirit. But the message of the Latter Rain Revival has been mishandled by wolves in sheep's clothing. Whenever the Holy Spirit is evident they claim it as "their" Latter Rain. Then using this anointing of the Holy Spirit as their main drawing card they proceed to exploit the movement. Many of us were mightily blessed in the early years of the charismatic renewal. During those early years the Holy Spirit flowed in a much greater purity and unity than we see today. Both of these once great Holy Spirit revivals are now either spent or winding down. In all of this we must not lose hope. If Joel saw the peak of the Holy Spirit outpouring at the sixth seal - in the days of a darkened sun and a bloody moon then know for a certainty that the really big moves of the Holy One are yet to come. If the revivals we have today are winding down then all this means is that something much bigger than we have ever seen is still out there and on the pathway up ahead. This great Latter Rain revival of His Church is a lot closer than many people think. The scriptures clearly tell of a genuine blockbuster Holy Spirit revival which will power up towards the end of this age. (Joel 2:28-32, Isaiah 60:1-5, Zechariah 12:10-13:1 etc.) So now we should pray and ask Father to personally see this great move of Father G-d and the "greater works" promised to us by G-d. - John 14:12. The divided "church" needs to come together into a single body directed only by Jesus . As the master of ceremonies at the wedding feast at Cana remarked to the bridegroom, "You have saved the best wine until last!". Jesus Prayer to Our Father, "I Pray That They May Be One As We Are One" - In 1 Corinthians 1:13 we read: "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" Yet obviously Christ/His church is presently a church very divided. Denominations have turned the gospel message of Christ upside down while seeking their own "share" of members, glory and finances. False ministers do not preach the true gospel. Their false preaching results in false churches, which Jesus himself called "synagogues of Satan" (Rev. 2:9; 3:9). Paul spoke much about such false ministers, especially in 2 Corinthians (2:14-17; 4:1-6; 11:1-4, 13-15). Many false ministers are in the denominational "churches" today. They Are Not Called by G-d! The majority of today's denominational ministers are not called and sent forth by G-d to freely preach the gospel. Rather, they are called and sent by themselves to make money. Over two thousand years ago, Jesus saw this present division in His Body/Church. In his final prayer before He went to the cross, He started to pray in earnest for His church. John captured this intimate and historic moment of Jesus with His Father. Apostle John described the prayer of Our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in John chapter 17. In that prayer, Jesus agony in the spirit had already started. He was giving his final account of his mission on earth to G-d. His journey back home has already started. Then He continued his prayer and said, "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are one" (John 17:11). Every statement Jesus made in this 17th chapter is critically very important. Yet, he repeated one single prayer/statement over and over because Jesus was able to see a divided church ages ago. Many "beLIEvers" have insisted on still keeping His Church confused and divided. Jesus clearly prayed that ALL of His followers would be one. This statement, "That they may be one as we are one," refers to the entire body of believers. Look at the very word "denominations" - take the first 5 letters and simply reverse the "n" and the "m" and you see "demon" using "I" to divide the "nations" (demon/i/nations)! That old lion, Lucifer knows how to divide and conquer. Jesus continued his earnest prayer. The second and third times, he repeated his request before G-d again. "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they all may be one as you, Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:20-21). The emotional agony of Jesus that expressed itself in this prayer was not due to those whom he loved, but rejected him. Jesus was praying for another group of believers (us), who would come to faith by just confessing him as Lord. Again, Jesus prayed to His Father that they/we also would be one. He went further by requesting that these believers would not only be one as a body, but that they would unite with Him and the Father in the Spirit as one. In the fourth time, Jesus repeated the statement again in the same prayer. "And the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one" (John 17:22). Jesus was telling G-d the Father that He had given the glory that G-d gave to Him to his disciples, so they could be one. Jesus gave His glory to us for the sake of unity in the body. How painful it must be to Him how His glory has been trashed because of all of the divided churches? I’m sure Jesus weeps over the demonic, denominational divisions in "His" church today! The fifth time Jesus repeated the same statement while he was still praying to G-d. "I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them as you have loved me" (John 17:23). Jesus said, "I command you to love one another, by this all men will know that you are my disciples" (John 13:34-35). Jesus clearly cried out His heart while on earth that He wanted to He and His father to be one in us, and we to be one in Him. Jesus said, "He who does not gather with me scatters abroad" (Matthew 12:30). The truth is that we all currently live in an uncaring world that is dominated by demonic feelings of selfishness, fear, worry, alienation, lust, greed, unbelief, divisions, isolation, and a chronic inability to connect with one another in any life-giving, loving and/or powerful way. In our political and economic and even our religious institutions, this lonely alienation is lived out as a feeling of being "underneath" and at an infinite distance from an alien external world that seems to determine the course of our lives from the outside. We are not actively engaged in any ongoing processes of any meaningful social interaction that can create or strengthen our bonds of connectedness to each other, allowing us to either to unite with Him or one another and/or to realize our own personal and His body's emotional and spiritual needs. It is obvious that we do not yet live in such a world, and our very isolation and the lack of true community envelops us all with immense psychological and emotional pain, a social starvation that is analogous to physical hunger and other forms of physical suffering. We are commanded not to pray "my" Father, but "our" Father - when will the theologians stop dividing the Body of Christ? When G-d stops them! How will He Stop this terrible mess? John 14:23: "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Many people say that they have Jesus living within them - they are "Born Again"; some people say they have the Holy Spirit living in them - they are called "Pentecostal"; when people (eventually) say that they also have the Father living in them - they will be called the manifested Sons of G-d! When these believers have Father dwelling within them and they truly hear Him - all divisions will cease in them! Then all of His people will come out of Babylon (confusion) as He calls to His own: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Revelation 18:4) The Promise of Greater Works and the Manifested Sons of G-d. John 14:12: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Haggai 2:9: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts." “He has given you the former rain moderately and He will give you the latter rain abundantly” [Joel 2:23] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of G-d. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of G-d. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:19-23). Jesus gave a brief summary of the events that would lead to His return and then some 60 years passed before we were given more: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which G-d gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of G-d, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." (Revelation 1:1-3) Here we find again the outline of the prophecy Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives, but represented in extensive symbolism. We also find additional details in the first chapter of the Revelation, John wrote that, in a vision, he was taken to the time he called "the Lord's day"--the same period called "the day of the Lord" by earlier prophets and other apostles (Isaiah 13:6, 9; Joel 1:15; Amos 5:18-20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him" (Revelation 1:1, 7). As Christ finished the Olivet Prophecy, He warned those of us who would live during the end time: "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 [all of the terrible end-time events], and to stand before the Son of Man" "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place" (Matthew 24:34). "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors!" (verse 33). "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32). Jesus said even He didn't know the precise time. Even after Jesus was resurrected and appeared to His disciples, they asked Him, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus responded, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:6-7). What Jesus did know was the various end-time events would all occur within the lifetime of one generation, that would be alive at the end of the age. We are truly part of that final generation. According to population experts, it took almost 1,900 years for the world to slowly rise from an estimated 250 million at the time of Christ to a billion and a half at the beginning of the 20th century. Then, in the 20th century alone, the earth's population has exploded as it quadrupled in size. It has now reached the staggering mark of over six billion people. In spite of all the wars, abortions, deaths and all of the advances in birth control, the world population is still rapidly climbing. According to the United Nations Population Division, it took 123 years to move from one billion to two billion population. Yet it took only 33 years to reach the three billion mark and 14 years to arrive at the four billion level. Next it took only 13 years to reach five billion, and now, just 11 years later, we have crossed the six billion mark. From now on, it is estimated, one billion people will be added every 10 years. Provided this rate of growth--adding some 80 million new people per year--continues, our world population will double again in 50 years. What does this all mean? Is the earth equipped to sustain all of this constant overpopulation without bringing on dire consequences? Already the earth shows serious consequences from this rapid population increase combined with our ongoing excessive consumption of the earth's resources. In 1989 the fishing industry reported a dwindling of fish catches in oceans, and the decline has continued. Diminishing reserves of metals, fossil fuels, forests, arable lands, freshwater and wildlife are facts of life. Pollution/radiaton has already reached a global scale, and with it, Global Warming and Extremely Destructive Weather Conditions, leaving us with no part of the earth not polluted with contaminated air, water and soil. This is not an extremist view, but rather what world organizations such as the UN and the Red Cross are continually reporting. The dramatic increase in the world population has placed great strains on the political, military, economic and social systems all over the planet. Some relief agencies already consider parts of Africa to be in a chronic state of hunger. It is estimated that more than 95 percent of population growth will take place in world's 130 poorest countries. Already one fourth of the earth's inhabitants live on less than a dollar a day. Yet this is part of the group that is dramatically multiplying. Half of the world's population is concentrated in China (1.2 billion), India (one billion) and Africa (800 million). As the population grows, it strains the relations within cities and among nations. More crime, violence and disease will invariably appear as people are increasingly forced to live in ever-increasing cramped and unhealthy quarters. According to 1990 UN statistics, Tokyo was the most populous city, with 25 million, followed by New York City's 16 million. But the UN calculates that in the next 15 years the largest cities will be in poor nations, such as Bombay, India, with 28 million; Lagos, Nigeria, with 24 million; Shanghai, China, with 23 million; and Mexico City and São Paulo, with 20 million. Can these impoverished nations continue to provide basic services and enforce the peace as all their resources dry up? How is this population growth related to prophecy? First, according to the end-time scenario of the Armegeddon battle described in the book of Revelation, a massive army from the east of the Euphrates River will cross the river and bring a disastrous world war. "And I heard a voice . . . saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million" (Revelation 9:13-16). For this prophecy to come to pass, billions of people must first exist on the planet for this region of Asia to field 200 million able-bodied soldiers. Until the latter part of the 20th century, Chinese and other Asian people could not even muster half that number. But now, for the first time in history, they can easily provide such a massive military force. Also, as world population multiplied in the 20th century, so did the explosion of knowledge, made possible by improved communications, travel and technology. We can easily see the fulfillment of the prophecy G-d gave to Daniel: "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4). In 2 Timothy 3:7: we read that religious people will be: "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Jesus Christ compared the society of Noah's day to the final end time: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:37-39). The people of Noah's day were not aware and/or did not care that G-d's judgment was about to be carried out because of the increase in their evil deeds. The Bible says the earth was full of violence and corruption, which was the reason G-d brought about the Flood (Genesis 6:5-12). The New American Bible translates: "In the eyes of G-d the earth was corrupt and full of lawlessness. When G-d saw how corrupt the earth had become, since all mortals led depraved lives on earth, He said to Noah: 'I have decided to put an end to all mortals on earth; the earth is full of lawlessness because of them. So I will destroy them and all life on earth' " (Genesis 6:11-12). The apostle Peter mentioned that prophecy should serve to strengthen our hope and faith in the future. He said: "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts . . ." (2 Peter 1:19). Here Peter compared Bible prophecies to a light that provides visibility until the final coming of G-d's Kingdom, brought by Jesus Christ to earth. When this occurs every eye will see His glory as if it is a great light (Matthew 24:27, 30; Revelation 1:7). The first of these certain prophecies deals with a specific condition described by Christ that would be present only as the end time drew near. He said to His disciples: "It will be a time of great distress; there has never been such a time from the beginning of the world until now, and will never be again. If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive; but for the sake of G-d's chosen it will be cut short." (Matthew 24:21-22). Jesus warned that a time would come that would see the destructive capacity of mankind so awesome that all human life could be erased. This is what makes the time of "great distress" so terrifying, unequaled in human history. Man has been fighting wars since the dawn of history. But man never had the ability--with all his rocks and clubs, bows and arrows, spears, cannons, or even his automatic weapons--to literally exterminate every human being on earth. This changed in 1945 with the detonation of the first atomic bombs, followed by the development of far-more-destructive hydrogen bombs. With thousands of nuclear weapons now at his disposal, man has the ability to destroy all human life from the planet many times over. This situation never existed in history until the latter half of the 20th century. Man has never been a great caretaker of the G-d's earth, but never before did he have the capacity to destroy all human life. Jesus Christ, in the Olivet Prophecy (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), predicted several major trends that would increase and intensify before His return. When His disciples asked Him what signs would precede His return and the end of this age, He responded: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:4-8). Some 2.2 billion people now claim to be "Christian". Yet they are divided among thousands of different churches and denominations, all claiming to follow Christ even while they hold to a bewildering variety of contradicting beliefs and practices. To most intelligent people this obviously is a part of the religious deception and confusion Jesus Christ predicted! World War I was supposed to be the war to end all wars, after it took eight million lives. A generation later World War II claimed almost ten times as many. But what about other wars? Hundreds of thousands more have died since in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Bosnia, Somalia, Israel and other countries. Although most rarely made the news, 20 to 30 wars raged around the world at any given time in the 1990s. According to some estimates, wars in the 20th century have killed more people than all earlier wars combined. When the Japanese city of Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945, the commander of the B-29 that carried the deadly payload wielded the power to destroy a medium-sized city. Today the commander of a single nuclear submarine carries enough destructive power to vaporize more than 150 large cities--quite enough to bring several countries to their knees. Dozens of such submarines bristling with nuclear weapons prowl the oceans, and that number doesn't begin to include the nuclear warheads that can be rained from other warships, aircraft, artillery and silos or trailer-launched missiles. Jesus said the circumstances at the time of the end would be so menacing that "no flesh would be saved" unless He returned (Matthew 24:21-22). Only within recent decades has mankind held the enormous destructive capability to literally exterminate all human life many times over. What will the next great war bring? According to Jesus Christ's revelation to John (Revelation 6:8; 9:13-18), well over two billion people will be slaughtered, or one third the world's population. With terrifying arsenals of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, such staggering casualties are a distinct and sobering probability! Every year, we see the unprecedented increased devastation and famines in selected areas of the world. But it's likely only a matter of time before a surging world population brings major drastic food shortages to all counties and nations. In this century alone the world population has quadrupled to more than six billion. Some 80 million new people are being added every year, with another billion people expected to be added every decade. If the rate of growth continues, the global population will double again in 50 years. What troubles many world leaders and organizations is that most of this growth will occur in countries least able to provide food, shelter and clothing for a flood of new citizens. With so many new mouths to feed, starvation--and accompanying social disruption--will inevitably spread. The situation is so tenuous that Global Warming along with weather disruptions or political upheavals in food-producing areas could bring immediate food shortages at any given time. An often-overlooked factor in weather patterns is the relationship between people and G-d. We have lost sight of the fact that G-d controls the weather. King Solomon understood this when he prayed: "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because [the people] have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance" (1 Kings 8:35-36). In 2 Chronicles 7: 12-22 we read: "And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord G-d of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath He brought all this evil upon them." Medical researchers are shocked by the sudden emergence of baffling new diseases and epidemics (at least 32 new diseases have appeared since the 70s). AIDS has garnered the most headlines--and rightfully so, since in sheer numbers it has claimed more lives than the black plague that devastated and killed one-third of medieval Europe. AIDS is only one of the incurable plagues that worry governments and scientists. The exotic-sounding names of such killers as Legionnaires' disease, Lassa fever, hantavirus, E. coli, West Nile, Machupo virus and Ebola, belie their deadliness. Some of these have resisted treatment or cure simply because they spread so fast and kill so quickly that scientists have not been able to study how they are transmitted. Equally frightening is the emergence of drug-resistant strains of old scourges such as tuberculosis, bubonic plague and some common bacteria. Other diseases once thought conquered--including malaria and cholera--are springing to life with deadly vengeance. Lest we forget, an unusual strain of influenza killed 20 million people in a worldwide epidemic in 1918 and 1919, taking more lives than were lost on the battlefields of World War I. The 20th century saw skyrocketing rates of diseases rooted in human behavior, diet and other environmental factors: cancers, sexually transmissible diseases, diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver, to name a few. If these were not enough, keep in mind that the breakdown in the social structure that inevitably results from war and famine will no doubt lead to massive and widespread epidemics. Chemical and biological weapons are another chilling possibility when we consider how some of the biblical prophecies may be fulfilled. Only in recent decades have scientists understood the underlying causes of earthquakes. The crust of the earth, they have discovered, is like a cracked eggshell encasing an interior of liquid magma. The giant pieces of earth's shell slowly move as they float on the magma. Where the shell is thin, or where pieces grind against each other, earthquakes and volcanoes are now continually rocking the earth with ever increasing frequency and intensity. Earthquake zones include some of the most densely populated areas of the world--including much of the U.S. West Coast, Italy, southeastern Europe, Turkey, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan. Potentially devastating volcanoes shadow such major cities as Seattle, Portland and Mexico City. Are earthquakes increasing? It's difficult to make long-term comparisons since modern seismographs have been in use for only just over a century. The Richter scale, which gauges earthquake magnitude, dates only to 1935. Also, far more sensitive instruments are in place today, so many earthquakes are detected that would have gone unnoticed in earlier years. Even so, records from the: U.S. National Earthquake Information Center show more than 20 quakes in the 20th century that killed 10,000 or more people, including several monster quakes that took more than 100,000 lives. Well over a million people have died in earthquakes in the last 100 years. Currently literally thousands of earthquakes take place daily, although most are so minor they are detected only by instruments. However, there are almost 1,000 moderate to strong earthquakes (5.0 to 6.9 on the Richter scale) in an average year, plus an average of 18 major quakes (7.0 to 7.9) and one massive quake of 8.0 or higher. Whether earthquakes are increasing in strength or frequency or not, Jesus Christ's prediction of "earthquakes in various places" certainly describes the 20th century. Remember, though, that Jesus said "all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet . . . All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:6-8). The many tragedies we see around us are chilling reminders of Jesus Christ's prophetic words and a foretaste of the even greater catastrophes yet to come. As a result of these terrible end-time things, those who survive and remain will hopefully be humbled enough to finally repent and ask G-d for fogiveness! Caution: One of the most detailed descriptions of the events which lead up to the Lord’s return is found in Matthew 24:3-24: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come….For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets Muhammad included ) , and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." http://www.howtohearjesus.com ; http://www.howtohearchrist.com The Lord reveals that in the latter days a great darkness will engulf the nations and the denominational churches. This darkness will continue to intensify. He said the world would be full of false prophets and false “Christs”{anointings}. He said that deception and sin among G-d’s people will become epidemic and as a result, the love of many {believers} shall wax cold. We shall be hated by all nations. Some of us will be betrayed by fellow believers and put to death. Some of us will be the ones who do the betraying. We will betray other believers to save our own skin and cause them to be killed. Yet in the middle of all this chaos and delusion, some believers will remain steadfast. These are the “elect.” It is these of whom Jesus speaks when He says that the “gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Even so, the days will become so evil that G-d will have to shorten them. For if He does not, even the very elect might be deceived and all flesh could be destroyed! How does a world-wide, end-time, “latter rain” revival and harvest fit into this uncomfortable picture? Jesus never said that the “gospel” that is preached in “all nations” will be accepted or that ALL of the nations would repent when it is preached. He merely stated that it would be preached. Jesus said to shake the dust of that/any city that refused to receive the good news from off your feet. Since things continue to deteriorate after this witness has been given, it should be obvious that the world will reject it. As a matter of fact, this is exactly what John sees in Revelation. The nations reject the testimony and kill the Lord's Two Witnesses who are bearing it. The nations rejoice and throw a big party to celebrate the death of the two witnesses and the end of their testimony. [Revelation 11:3-10]. If that testimony had produced a world-wide “revival” and brought into the Kingdom a “great harvest” of sinners, then those who rejoiced over the death of the witness would be a minority, not the majority as the Word implies. Jesus never promised great masses of believers - in fact, in Matthew 7:13 He clearly states: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" Jesus made two more revealing statements concerning the days just before His return. First He said “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” [Matt. 24:37-41] Exactly what happened in the “days” of Noah? Noah “preached the gospel,” [II. Peter 2:15] he had a testimony, he was a “witness” to and against his generation. But none repented! No one was listening! Life continued on for them as normal; eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day of the flood. The Lord compares that generation to this present generation. In Genesis Chapter 7: 1-16 we read: "Next G-d said to Noah, “Now board the ship, you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you’re the righteous one. Take on board with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and a female; one pair of every unclean animal, a male and a female; and seven pairs of every kind of bird, a male and a female, to insure their survival on Earth. In just seven days I will dump rain on Earth for forty days and forty nights. I’ll make a clean sweep of everything that I’ve made. Noah did everything G-d commanded him. Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters covered the Earth. Noah and his wife and sons and their wives boarded the ship to escape the flood. Clean and unclean animals, birds, and all the crawling creatures came in pairs to Noah and to the ship, male and female, just as G-d had commanded Noah. In seven days the floodwaters came. It was the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month that it happened: all the underground springs erupted and all the windows of Heaven were thrown open. Rain poured for forty days and forty nights. That’s the day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, accompanied by his wife and his sons’ wives, boarded the ship. And with them every kind of wild and domestic animal, right down to all the kinds of creatures that crawl and all kinds of birds and anything that flies. They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs—everything and anything that had the breath of life in it, male and female of every creature came just as G-d had commanded Noah. Then G-d shut the door behind him." The entire earth was destroyed and G-d had then only saved Noah and seven others - Not a great revival that saved MANY but a powerful move by G-d to save the few elect/righteous! Remember that the Lord G-d called and took literally millions out of Egypt but only two managed to enter into the Promised Land! In another place Jesus asks His disciples a very shocking question; “when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” [Luke 18:8] In other words, faith will be so rare, Jesus asks if there will be any left at all by the time He returns. Such a condition is certainly not the hallmark of a world-wide revival and a tremendous harvest of the worlds' souls. People with no religious affiliation now make up the third-largest global group in a new 2010 study of the world's faiths - coming after Christians and Muslims but just before Hindus. Paul says there will be a great “falling away” not a great “revival.” He says G-d will send a “strong delusion” to all who love not the truth. [II. Thess. 2:3&11] Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve G-d acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:26-28. The writer of Hebrews is quoting the prophet Haggai here. Haggai prophesied that G-d would shake heaven and earth, land and sea and all nations. That He would send the “latter” and the “former” rain and fill His house with glory and that the glory of the “latter” house would be greater than the glory of the “former” house. Finally, that all nations would come to Zion. [Haggai 2:6-9] It is from this prophesy, primarily, that so many have drawn the erroneous conclusion that there will be a world-wide revival before the return of the Lord. Those who believe that signs, wonders and sensual spiritual experiences are proof of G-d’s presence are simply believing a lie. They are looking in the wrong direction! In John 2:18 -25 we read: "Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man." Both Jesus and John warned that the “spirit” that would produce the great “signs and wonders” in the latter days would be that of the False Prophet…Is anybody listening? In 1 Corinthians 1: 1-13 we read: "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them G-d was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but G-d is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 John 4:17: "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." The new outpouring of the Shekinah Glory of G-d will be to call out of Babylon/religion in order to save and perfect His unified Church even as Jesus was perfected in Hebrews 2:10: "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." and again in Hebrews 5:8 we read: "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered." In the Garden Jesus asked three times: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 2 Timothy 2:11-12: "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:" In Luke 13:32 we read: "And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected." It is the third day dear one and now Jesus' entire body will be perfected! In Hebrews 11:39-40 we read: "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: G-d having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. What is the job of the Lord's 5-fold ministry? In Ephesians 4:11-16 we read: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge (John 10:27) of the Son of G-d, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. How do we know that this is truly the end time? False Bible teachers would bring in heresies, have many followers, and cause others to reject G-d's Word (2 Peter 2:1-2). Listen to religion/Babylon on every radio and television station! One of the greatest lies is that we will not go thru the end times - we will be "raptured out" and not have to endure until the end - In John 17:15 Jesus clearly prays: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." These false prophets would be money hungry, smooth talkers (2 Peter 2:3). Listen as "they" continually ask for more "tithes and offerings". http://www.notithesandofferings.com 2 Timothy 3:1-17: "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of G-d, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ... Look around you and in the mirror! Revelation 13:16-18: "Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666." http://www.manyantichrists.com The gospel would be preached as a witness to all nations (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10; Revelation 14:6). Global communications foreseen (Revelation 11:9-10; 17:8). The Bible prophesies that the entire world will be able to see as events unfold. Mankind would be capable of destroying all life (Matthew 24:21-22). Mankind has been fighting wars since the dawn of history. But man never had the ability--with rocks and clubs, bows and arrows, cannons, or even automatic weapons--to literally exterminate every human being on earth. But today, with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it is possible to wipe out all flesh on planet earth. The use of nuclear weapons anticipated (Zechariah 14:12). The neutron bomb melts (dissolves) its victims just as G-d warned 2500 years ago. "Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths." This was unimaginable in Zechariah's day. There would be a global cry for peace (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Never has there been such a concerted, global effort to bring about peace at any cost as there is today. The Antichrist would use (false) peace to destroy many (Daniel 8:23-25). http://www.manyantichrists.com In the last days Israel would have a peace treaty in place that the Antichrist will confirm and eventually break (Daniel 9:27). Currently the world's governments are striving for an Israeli peace treaty. Damascus would be destroyed (Isaiah 17; Jeremiah 49:23-27; Amos 1:3-5; Zechariah 9:1-8). Damascus, Syria is increasingly in the news and is extremely anti-Semitic. Many terrorist organizations have their bases in Damascus. G-d declares that they will become a ruinous heap because they have violently taken what was not theirs. In 2007 Israel vowed to wipe Syria off the map and currently is bombing Syria. Chaotic weather would be prevalent (Luke 21:25-26). Jesus foresaw the seas and the waves roaring in the last days. He also likened these signs to birth pangs (Matthew 24:8). The Greek word odin, often translated as sorrows in Matthew 24:8, literally means birth pangs. Furthermore, the apostle Paul reminded us that the creation itself will be delivered from the curse at the end of the age (Romans 8:21). And that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs (Romans 8:22). As delivery draws near, birth pangs always increase in both intensity and frequency. Therefore, the creation itself would travail as the time of delivery draws near. There are many indications that we are witnessing an increase in extreme weather, violence, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, blizzards, droughts, floods, etc. There would be a move toward a one-world global government (Daniel 2:40-44; 7:23; Revelation 13:7-8). The former Roman Empire which encompassed present-day Europe would revive and eventually dominate the world. The European Union has steadily moved forward in its attempt to unite Europe politically and economically. It has succeeded in creating a European parliament, a court, and a common currency. Literal Babylon (formerly called Babel, Genesis 10:10) would reemerge in the land of Shinar known today as Iraq (Zechariah 5:11; Isaiah 13). Saddam Hussein spent over 20 years rebuilding the city of Babylon. Today, with Saddam's regime overthrown, the international community is again discussing how to rebuild Iraq. The fact that G-d once flooded the earth would be denied (2 Peter 3:5-6). There is a mass of fossil evidence to prove this fact, yet it is flatly ignored by most of the scientific world because they simply do not believe in the flood.. Increased interest in vegetarianism anticipated (1 Timothy 4:3-4). The New Age Movement has swept the globe during the past 40 years popularizing this. Many wars would erupt (Mark 13:7-8). It is now estimated that more people died in wars during the 20th century than in all previous wars throughout history. Ethnic conflicts would be prevalent (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:10). Jesus used the Greek word ethnos to describe the last days' conflicts. The past century experienced unprecedented ethnic cleansing and genocide – with over 100 million purged or killed. The earth would be filled with violence (Luke 17:26; Genesis 6:11-13). In the United States alone, violent crime has increased nearly 500% since 1960. Fifty years ago abortion (the violent murder of an unborn child) was illegal in most countries. Today abortion is legal in most countries and 46 million children are aborted each year. Jesus foretold that there would be fearful sights (Luke 21:11). The Greek word translated fearful is phobetron, which can also be translated terror. According to the U.S. State Department, between 1981 and 2009, there were more than 75,000 international terrorist attacks. Multitudes would travel to and fro (Daniel 12:4). Prior to the Industrial Revolution, few individuals traveled beyond their own communities. Until recently, horse, foot, and boat were the only modes of transportation. Yet today we travel by car, bus, plane, train, subway, etc. Millions and millions are running to and fro just as Daniel prophesied 2500 years ago! Knowledge would increase (Daniel 12:4). Today we are witnessing an unbelievable explosion of available knowledge. With the advent of the Internet, it is estimated that our cumulative knowledge is doubling every five years. This exponential increase is beyond what anyone could have imagined! Deadly diseases (which the Bible calls pestilences) would be common (Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:8). Emerging diseases such as AIDS, ebola, Hanta virus, Dengue, West Nile, SARS, bird flu, etc., as well as numerous re-emerging infectious diseases underscore this fact. Ironically, just a few decades ago, some scientists were forecasting that advances in medicine might soon eradicate all deadly diseases. The final generation would be open to receiving a mark on their right hand or on their forehead (Revelation 13:16). Consider how the up and coming generation is tattooed, pierced and marked with all kinds of insignia. And today, for the first time in history, global tracking and marking technology is available. A global economic system would exist (Revelation 13:16-17). This was unthinkable in the apostle John's day. Yet today, globalists in every level of government are seeking to unite the world. Connecting the world monetarily is crucial to their goal. A man would control all banking and commerce (Revelation 13:16-18). Remember, this prophecy was penned 2000 years before our computer-driven society. Yet, until recently, you couldn't have even dreamed how a person could control all commerce. Famines would be common (Luke 21:11; Revelation 6:5-8). According to the United Nations, an estimated 925 million people went hungry in 2010. Great signs from heaven prophesied (Luke 21:11, 26). Unexplained sightings in the sky appear to be increasing. For instance, since 1947 UFO testimonies have exploded - terrifying many. Each year thousands of unidentified aerial sightings are reported. The sun would scorch the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 16:8-9). In recent years, solar activity and global warming have intensified markedly. Though this prophecy is clearly a divine judgment on unrepentant mankind, a compromise in the earth's atmosphere due to nuclear war or other ecological disaster could facilitate this judgment. The nation Israel would be born in one day (Isaiah 66:8). Historian Randall Price relates an anecdote about Napoleon. The French emperor was passing near a synagogue and heard weeping inside. He asked, "What is this crying?" He was told it was weeping over the destruction of their temple. Impressed, Napoleon said, "A people that longs so much for its city and its temple are bound to restore them one day!" The very survival of the religion and culture of G-d's chosen people, which witnessed the rise and decline of many great civilizations as Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, goes against all of the odds. The fact Israel was never assimilated into any of the nations where it was scattered is unprecedented. A historian of the 19th century, Heinrich Graetz, stated that "a nation which has witnessed the rise and decay of the most ancient empires, and which still continues to hold its place in the present day, deserves the closest attention. "On May 14, 1948 Israel became a nation in one day! The Jews would begin to regather in Israel (Isaiah 11:11-12; Ezekiel 37:21-22; 38:8; Luke 21:29-31). Over five million Jews have returned to Israel in recent times! This is unprecedented in human history. Never has a people group been dispersed for hundreds of years to every corner of the globe, and then regathered back to their homeland. Yet, G-d said it and He has done it before our very eyes! Returning Jews would come from the north, south, east, and west (Isaiah 43:5-6; Jeremiah 31:7-10). Amazingly, nearly a million Jews have emigrated from Russia in the north. Over 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have emigrated from the south (Zephaniah 3:10). Since 1948, Jews have emigrated from Europe, Asia, the Americas, everywhere! During the diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews to the four corners of the globe), Israel would become a wasteland (Deuteronomy 29:23-28; Ezekiel 36:8-11; Ezekiel 36:33-36). During the past 1900 years Israel became a nearly uninhabited, desolate wasteland. Israel, once a desolate desert, would blossom in the last days and export produce to the world (Isaiah 27:6; 35:1-2; Ezekiel 36:34-36). Israel's increased rainfall and world-renowned irrigation technology have caused the land to blossom. Incredibly, as foretold, they currently export over 1200 million dollars worth of fresh produce each year, including over 100 million in flowers and ornamental plants! Israel would prosper economically (Ezekiel 38:12-13). Amazingly, this recently regathered, often attacked, tiny nation exported over 54 billion dollars worth of goods in 2010. This was inconceivable a century ago! In contrast, their neighbor Jordan exported less than 8 billion in 2010. Israel would once again plant vineyards (Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13-15). Today, sweet wine flows from the Golan Heights and many other vineyards on the mountains of Israel. The last days Jews would plant forests of trees. The Bible even specifies the variety of trees, cedar, acacia, myrtle, oil, cypress, pine, and box (Isaiah 41:18-20). Since 1900 more than one billion trees have been planted in Israel! This has happened in these last days after Israel lay barren for nearly two millennia. A pure language would be restored (Zephaniah 3:9). At the end of the 19th century the Zionist movement brought about the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language. In 1948, Hebrew became an official tongue of the state of Israel. Originally there was only one language (Genesis 11:1) and this pure speech will be restored (Isaiah 19:18). Interestingly, Hebrew has no swear words. Hebrew had ceased to be an everyday spoken language by around 200 AD, and survived into the medieval period only as the language of Jewish liturgy and rabbinic literature. Then, in the 19th century, it was revived as a spoken and literary language, and, according to Ethnologue, is now the language of 9 million people worldwide, of whom 7 million are from Israel. The United States has the second largest Hebrew speaking population, with about 221,593 fluent speakers,mostly from Israel. Jerusalem would be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled (Luke 21:24). Since 70 A.D., Jerusalem was trampled by Gentiles until the Jews regained control of the city during the 1967 Six-Day War (on the 7th day they rested!). Anti-Semitism worldwide anticipated (Deuteronomy 28:37; Jeremiah 29:18; 44:8; Luke 21:20-24; Revelation 12). History confirms that the Jews have been persecuted as no other group of people. Hitler tried to exterminate them all! Hitler killed 6 million Jews!. Today, anti-Semitism is a global epidemic. For example, of more than 700 General Assembly resolutions passed since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, about 60% condemn Israel. Only a few have been passed against Arab nations, but none as a response to their involvement with terrorism. In other words, out of 190 nations in the UN, the majority of all UN resolutions rebuke just one member, Israel! All surrounding nations would be united against Israel (Psalm 83:4-8; Zechariah 12:2). This has never happened in history. Yet today, Israel is surrounded by Muslim nations sworn to her destruction. Muhammad said: The Hour (last day) will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say 'O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.'" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4, b. 52, Hadith # 177). Jerusalem would be a cup of trembling to all surrounding peoples (Zechariah 12:2). Jerusalem is a small city, with no natural resources, no port, insignificant manufacturing and industrial capability, yet its very existence causes the surrounding nations to tremble. Jerusalem would be a burdensome stone to all nations (Zechariah 12:3). Almost daily the world news reports on the conflict over Jerusalem. The United Nations, the Vatican, and many world leaders want to make it an international city. However, G-d says that the city is His and He has given it to the Jews forever (Genesis 15:18; Leviticus 25:23; 2 Chronicles 6:6). All who burden themselves with it will be "cut in pieces." Despite G-d's clear warning, UN resolution 476 flagrantly reiterates that Israel's claim to Jerusalem is null and void. As a result, most countries refuse to transfer their embassies to Jerusalem - Israel's capital. Israel would be invincible (Zechariah 12:6-9 ; Micah 4:11-13; 5:7-15). Since 1948, tiny Israel has been attacked in three major wars and several lesser wars. Yet despite being vastly outnumbered, they have always defeated all of their attacking foes. Even during the final battle, when it looks like Israel will be destroyed, the Lord shall deliver her (Jeremiah 30:3-7; Zechariah 14; Mark 13:14-20). An invincible Israel makes no sense unless you believe G-d's Word. Israel would be partitioned by all nations (Joel 3:2; Daniel 11:39). This is another unimaginable prophecy! In 1947, UN Resolution 181 planned the partitioning of Israel. Currently, the West Bank and Gaza have been separated into Jewish and Palestinian settlements. Dividing Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria are also being negotiated today in order to create a Palestinian state. The Eastern Gate would remain closed until the Messiah returns. At Christ's Second Coming, He will enter Jerusalem through the now sealed Eastern Gate (Ezekiel 44:1-3). Today, as prophesied, the Eastern Gate remains sealed. The nation of Israel, which had been divided into two kingdoms since the time of Solomon (950 B.C.E.) Israel in the north and Judah in the south would be one united nation in the last days (Ezekiel 37:15-22; Isaiah 11:11-13; Jeremiah 3:18; Hosea 1:11). And so it is, Israel is one nation. The returning Jews would have no king until Jesus returns (Hosea 3:4-5). As foretold, Israel has been without a king for over 2500 years. Today the Jewish state is governed by a democracy comprised of multiple political parties. Though Israel would be the focus of many fulfilled prophecies, most Jews would remain blind to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah until the very end (Luke 19:41-42; Luke 13:34-35; Romans 11:25-27). Remarkably, in recent years thousands of Jews have found and received Jesus as the true Messiah! Russia (Magog) would rise as a military power and lead an attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38). Today, most of the southern states of the former Soviet Union are both military powerhouses and Muslim. Iran (Persia), Sudan (Cush), and Libya (Put) would also partake in this attack (Ezekiel 38). Anti-Semitism in the Islamic world is rampant. According to the Koran and Hadith, Muslims are commanded to fight and slay non-believers in Jihad (holy war) unless they convert to Islam (Surahs 9:5 and 47:4; vol. 1, b. 2, Hadith # 24 and 35). Turkey (Gomer) would also join in the attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38). In 2002, Turkey elected a pro-Islamic party to govern the country. In 2005, Hitler’s anti-Semitic manifesto Mein Kampf became a bestseller in Turkey. In 2007, Turkey elected an Islamist president. Russia and her allies would come up against Israel to take away “great plunder” that Israel recently acquired (Ezekiel 38:10-13). In 2009 and 2010 Israel discovered a huge natural gas reservoir (Leviathan) and a large oil reserve that could alter the geopolitcal power balance in the Middle East. Birds of prey would eat the dead flesh of the enemy armies that fall in battle against Israel (Ezekiel 39:4, 17; Revelation 19:17-21). It is a little known fact that Israel is the bird migration capital of the world. During the spring and fall migrations, billions of birds fly over Israel. Many of these migratory birds are raptors – carrion (dead flesh) eating birds of prey. In fact, 34 known species of raptors migrate over Israel. Jesus said there would be “distress of nations, with perplexity” (Luke 21:25). Today, with nuclear proliferation, global terrorism and grave ecological fears, the nations are in a quandary with no apparent way out. The Euphrates River would be dried up (Revelation 16:12). Today, the massive Ataturk Dam in Turkey, completed in 1990, can hold back the Euphrates to a trickle. Asia (the kings from the east) would be capable of deploying a 200-million-man army during the earth's final days (Revelation 9:14-16; 16:12). Bear in mind, when John penned this prophecy 2000 years ago, there were only an estimated 170 to 400 million people on the entire planet. Yet today, according to the CIA, China alone has over 300 million men fit for military service! Population explosion foreseen - John, who wrote the Book of Revelation, also beholds a great multitude which no one could number coming out of the Great Tribulation at the end of the age (Revelation 7:9; 14), indicates an enormous number of people on planet earth in the last days. The nations would bud (Luke 21:29-32). In Scripture, the tree is often used figuratively of a nation (Ezekiel 17:22-24; 31:3-6; Daniel 4:20-22). Since 1945, more than 80 former colonies have gained their independence. Our generation has witnessed the end of the colonial era and the budding of many nations. Egypt would exist in the last days - but only as a "lowly Kingdom" (Ezekiel 29:14-16). Egypt was one of the world's greatest ancient civilizations. Yet today, as prophesied, Egypt remains - but only as a third world nation - which will "never again exalt itself above the nations" (v. 15). And while G-d's Word foretold of the demise of many other ancient people groups and kingdoms (which have long since vanished), Egypt still remains! Great earthquakes in diverse places foreseen (Luke 21:11; Isaiah 24:19-20; Revelation 6:12-14;16:18-20). Seismic activity appears to be on the rise. Marriage would be forbidden by many (1 Timothy 4:3). The Bible states that marriage is honorable among all (Hebrews 13:4). Despite this, the Catholic Church forbids their 400,000 priests, 800,000 nuns and monks from marrying. The Orthodox Church, as well as Hindus, Buddhists, and other religious groups also impose mandatory celibacy for certain orders. Deceptive signs and wonders would abound (Matthew 7:22-23; 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9). The signs and wonders movement has swept the globe in recent years replacing the Word of G-d. Experiences that feed the senses in the name of Christ are drawing away millions. "And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." 2 Peter 2:2 Men would be lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3:1-2). This generation, like no other, regards self above all else. Self-love, self-esteem, self-reliance, self-gratification, are encouraged by the media, schools, psychologists, etc. In contrast, Jesus taught self-denial. Even many churches today preach a feel good about yourself message - some even say that no one will have to go to hell! Jesus spent more time talking about hell than He did heaven! Youth would become increasingly rebellious (2 Timothy 3:2-3; Mark 13:12). Look around you. Humanity would become increasingly materialistic and lovers of pleasure (2 Timothy 3:1-5). No generation in history has had so many means to entertain and arouse the senses. Every imaginable hedonistic pleasure is available and has become big business. Jesus said Christians would be hated for His name's sake (Luke 21:17; Revelation 6:9-11; 20:4). The banning of the Bible, prayer, the Ten Commandments, nativity scenes, Christmas songs, etc., reflects this trend. Also consider that more Christians were martyred during the past century than during all previous history. Homosexuality would be flaunted at the end of the age. Jesus warned that the last days would be like the days of Lot who lived in wicked Sodom (Luke 17:28-30). We know that the root of Sodom's sin was pride and complacency (Ezekiel 16:49) as it is today. However, Sodom's lasting infamy stemmed from their aggressive homosexual sin (Genesis 19; Jude 1:7). Today, the homosexual agenda is flaunted and forced upon our entire society. Substantial wealth and luxuries foreseen (James 5:1-3; Revelation 3:17; Revelation 18). In the last days, fallen angels would interact with mankind (1 Timothy 4:1; Luke 17:26; Genesis 6:1-4). There has been an explosion of ET/alien reports during the past 60 years. Studies indicate these entities behave more like demons than space travelers. They transcend the laws of physics, invoke fear, and deliver anti-Christian messages. There are television programs and movies that depict ghosts, vampires, zombies and demons. Apostasy would occur just before the Antichrist is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Increasingly, experience-based "Christianity" is replacing the Bible as the standard for saving faith. The ecumenical movement is striving for unity at the expense of truth. Christ's exclusive claims are negated in the name of tolerance. The Man of Sin, the Antichrist has been revealed - please see: http://www.whois666.com/. There would be a move towards a one-world government/religion (Revelation 13:8, 12; Revelation 17). Jesus also warned that this deception would be ushered in by great signs and wonders (Matthew 24:23-27). Currently, Eucharistic, apparitional, and related miracles and signs are reported around the globe. A woman would call herself "queen" and head the global counterfeit church in the last days - proving herself an imposter (Revelation 17; 18:7; Isaiah 47). Tens of millions follow the apparition of Mary, who is regarded as the Mother of the Church, the Lady of All Nations, the Co-Redemptrix, and the Queen of Heaven. Remember Babyon was Mother of many other harlots (churches)! http://www.leavebabylon.com/ The woman would also represent a great city set on seven hills (Revelation 17:9, 18). The Queen of Heaven is considered the Mother of the Roman Catholic Church which has its headquarters (the Vatican) situated on seven hills. As the Catholic Encyclopedia states, It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined. Revelation 17:4-5 In the last days, this wicked woman and all of her whoring daughters would go out over the face of the whole earth. She would be associated with a global curse. Her final destination would be Babylon in the land of Shinar (Zechariah 5). Epidemic drug use foreseen (Revelation 9:21). The Greek word translated sorceries is pharmakeia which can also refer to drug use, both illegal drugs and mind-altering drugs. The use of illegal drugs and the dispensing of mind-altering drugs has risen sharply during our current generation. On Dec. 31, 2011, there were 197,050 sentenced prisoners under federal jurisdiction. Of these, 94,600 were serving time for drug offenses and, there were 1,341,804 sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction. Of these, 225,242 were serving time for drug offenses., Sorceries referring to witchcraft, magic, or occult practices used to enchant and deceive are also anticipated in the last days (Revelation 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; Isaiah 47:9-15; Micah 5:10-15). Today, interest in the occult is flourishing. Preparations for a global war anticipated (Joel 3:9-14; Matthew 24:22; Revelation 16:14). Never in history have so many nations stockpiled weapons of mass destruction. Environmental devastation of the planet foreseen (Revelation 11:18). Our generation has done more to ravage/pollute and destroy the environment than any previous generations. There would be signs in the sun (Luke 21:25). In recent years there has been a massive increase in solar activity recorded. Still future paranormal events must yet occur (Revelation 13:13-14; 16:14). Many would call themselves the Christ (Matthew 24:5). Jesus was an itinerate preacher who knew that many would come in His name, claiming to be the Christ. And today, millions within the New Age Movement, Eastern religions, and the cults call themselves a Christ or the Christ. This is another incredible prophecy! G-d said that His name would be great among the nations (Malachi 1:11; Philippians 2:9-11). Jesus in Hebrew Jehoshuah - means Jehovah saves. As we begin the 3rd millennium, over two billion people profess to be Christians. Multitudes more regard Jesus as the greatest prophet and teacher ever. As foretold, no other name compares to the fame ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus prophesied that even after heaven and earth pass away, His words would never be forgotten (Luke 21:33). As we near the end of the age, we see that Christ's words remain as accurate, renowned, and relevant as they were 2000 years ago. Today, Bible societies alone distribute approximately 500 million Scripture portions or entire Bibles every single year. Despite the Bible's numerous warnings and last days prophecies, many people would be taken off guard when these events culminate (Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6; Revelation 3:3). Take heed to yourselves! Let no man or church deceive you! Some would depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). This generation has witnessed the explosion of "heavenly visitors" and false doctrines that are embraced by denominational Christians even though their messages contradict the Word of G-d. Hate, Judging others, channeling, witchcraft, yoga, psychics, etc., have also gained in popularity though expressly forbidden by G-d (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). People would reject the sound doctrine of the Word of G-d and follow the doctrines of men that appeal to their own lusts (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Acts 20:29-30). Others would confess faith in Christ, but not obey His Word (Matthew 24:48-51; Matthew 7:22-23). Many would forsake the Ten Commandments as a moral code: blaspheming, committing adultery, disobeying parents, stealing, lying, coveting, etc. (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 9:21). Idolatry would be pervasive (Revelation 9:20; 13:12-15; 19:20; Micah 5:10-15; Zechariah 13:1-2). An idol is anything that competes for the attention due only to our Creator. Money, fame, power, sex, religion, lovers, statues, images, charms, false gods, angels, apparitions, as well as alcohol, drugs, music, possessions, position, pleasure, a person, self, family and any created thing can all become idols (Romans 1:18-25). Blasphemy would be common (2 Timothy 3:2; Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). Consider how often people use their Creator's name (G-d, Lord, or Jesus Christ) as a curse word. What they have done is liken the One who is the Creator and the source of every blessing (eyesight, sunsets, food, family, friends, etc.) to a four-letter curse word. Fifty years ago, Hollywood seldom used G-d's name in vain. Today, nearly every movie includes blasphemy. Sexual immorality would be rampant (Jude 18; Revelation 9:21). Keep in mind, Jesus said whoever looks to lust has already committed adultery in his heart (Matthew 5:28). Therefore, G-d equates Internet porn, lustful movies, TV shows/advertisements, music, and magazines to fornication. The availability and consumption of sensual literature and/or products has exploded in our generation. Men would sear their conscience so they could continue in sin (1 Timothy 4:2). Men would mock the warning signs of the end of the age saying, "These warning signs have always been around." (2 Peter 3:3-4). Even Science Agrees that these are the Last Days Science believes that ever since the beginning of life on Earth, its fragile existence has lived in the shadow of annihilation. On this planet, extinction is the norm – of the 4 billion species ever thought to have evolved, 99% have already become extinct. In particular, five times in this past 500 million years the steady background rate of extinction has shot up for a period of time. Something – no one knows for sure what – turned the Earth into exactly the wrong planet for life at these points and during each mass extinction, more than 75% of the existing species died off in a period of time that was, geologically speaking, a blink of the eye. If a big enough asteroid hit the Earth, for example, the impact would cause huge earthquakes and tsunamis that could cross the globe. There would be enough dust thrown into the air to block out the sun for several years. As a result, the world's food resources would be destroyed, leading to famine. It has happened before: the dinosaurs (along with more than half the other species on Earth) were wiped out 65 million years ago by a 10km-wide asteroid that smashed into the area around Mexico. Monica Grady, an expert in meteorites at the Open University, says it is a question of when, not if, a near-Earth object (NEO) collides with our planet. "We are overdue for a big one." Other natural disasters include sudden changes in climate or immense volcanic eruptions. All too real are the human-caused threats born of climate change, excess pollution, depletion of natural resources and the madness of nuclear weapons. We tinker with our genes and atoms at our own peril. Nanotechnology, synthetic biology, pesticide POISONS and genetic modification can also go wrong and destroy us and/our ability to reproduce. Martin Rees, Britain's astronomer royal and former president of the Royal Society, warned in his 2003 book, Our Final Century?, that the odds of human civilization surviving beyond 2100 are no more than 50%, given the easy access to technologies that could have global impacts, such as biological terrorism, or the potential adverse impacts of molecular nanotechnology. Potential points of danger continue to come from the more successful achievements of our recent past. Our society is connected and computerized like never before and this has brought us big benefits in terms of trade, access to knowledge and education and better communications. But those same interconnections can spread viruses (human and computer) ever faster. A skilled terrorist cell (or intelligent machine) could compromise power systems, steal or delete financial data and wreck supply chains, all of which are crucial for the modern world to function. A failure in a digital system in the United States can spread to China or Australia in seconds. It is perhaps ironic that the shadow of potential threats becomes ever longer the more light science sheds on our understanding of the universe. While all of these end-time signs are indeed interesting; Our Great G-d (WHO IS A CONSUMING FIRE!) does not need ANY help to destroy HIS earth! We start by reading the very first verse in the Bible: "In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth." G-d brought the great Flood that destroyed all flesh other than Noah and the Seven in the Ark because he repented that He ever made man. G-d brought all the plaques that brought His Chosen People out of Egypt. His two angels totally destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire. In Joshua 6 we read: "Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” (This is the seventh day dear one!) In 2 Kings 6:15-18 we read: "And when the servant of the man of G-d was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha." It is evident from the Word that Angels have tremendous power that the Lord can command them to use e.g., the angels have the power to destroy entire armies; they brought on a pestilence from which seventy thousand men died. Of only one of the Lord's angel it is written: "The angel stretched out his hand against Jerusalem to destroy it but Jehovah repented Him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough, now stay thy hand. And David saw the angel that smote the people (2 Samuel 24: 16, 17). Angels have the power to cause blindness, they have power over fire, water, animals, they have power to make a person mute, to open prison doors, to fly and in Revelation 9:15 we read: "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men." Finally in Revelation 18:1 we read: "And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory." Even mere mortal men and women empowered by the Lord like Aaron, Abigail, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Amram and Jochebed, Avishai, Avner, Avshalom, Bathsheba, Boaz, Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, Elijah and Elisha, Elkanah and Hannah, Esther and Mordechai, Gedaliah, Gershom and Eliezer, Moses and Zipporah's sons Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (fellow exiles with and friends of Daniel) were thrown into a furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, yet survived "without the smell of smoke", Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, the Twelve Minor Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel the Major Prophets, Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea, the kings of the northern Kingdom of Israel, Jethro, Jonah, Jonathan, Joshua, Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, and Eli, Samuel, the Judges who ruled after Moses and before the kings, Saul, David (who killed the giant Goliath), and Solomon, the kings who ruled the united kingdom of the twelve Tribes, Leah, Melchizedek, Miriam, Moses, adopted by Pharaoh's daughter in Egypt, leader of the Exodus from Egypt received the Torah, Mosaic Law, Nathan, Neriah and his son Baruch the scribe of Jeremiah Noah, while not technically a Jew was a righteous man bound by the 7 Noahide Laws until Moses received the Torah at Sinai, Onan, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin, the Twelve Tribes the Children of Israel, sons of Jacob called Israel. (Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph's sons were also counted as part of the twelve tribes at times.) Rachel, Rebecca, Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, (Queen) Athaliah, Jehoash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, Zedekiah, the kings of the southern Kingdom of Judah, Ruth, Samuel, last of the Judges and first of the Prophets, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, Judaism's Four Matriarchs, King Solomon, who built the second Temple, Tamar, Judah, Tamar, Yoav, Zilpah and Zipporah, the Lord's Apostles and the coming Two Witnesses can do wonderful works, great miracles, save others, win battles, curse the earth, heal the sick, raise the dead and/or defeat all who dare come before them like Satan, Pharoah, Ananius and Sapphira and direct people to the Lord G-d! Jesus said that we could do even greater works than He! In Revelation 21:1 we read: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." In 2 Peter 3: 10 we read: “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” This is the culmination of a series of events called “the day of the Lord,” the time when G-d will intervene in human history for the purpose of the final judgment. At that time, all that G-d has created, “the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), He (not "we") will destroy. This time dear one Jesus is not coming meek and mild riding on a donkey (that could be ignored) but He is returning as Lord of Lords and King of Kings! "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" In Revelation 19:11-21 we read: " And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of G-d. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty G-d. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great G-d; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." (The phrase “Lord of Lords” is used in Scripture five times, and only referring to G-d (Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14, 19:16). You personally do not know when you will take your last breath - so perhaps it makes sense for you to be now and always to be ready to meet Him who made you!

Have you entered into His rest? If not, why not? In Hebrew 4:1-11 we read: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (Everything was accomplished that needed to be done since the beginning!) For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And G-d did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of G-d. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as G-d did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." What do you think? In Romans 6: 8-11 we read: "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against G-d: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be . So then they that are in the flesh cannot please G-d. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of G-d dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. " What does Jesus promise us? In Matthew 11:30 we read: " For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." What does Jesus warn us not to do? In Matthew 7:1-3 we read: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" What does Jesus command us to do? In John 15:12 we read: "This is my (only) commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. In 1 Corinthians 13 we read: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. What about the work of man/religion? In Matthew 7:19-23 we read: " Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many (Spirit filled Christians) will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Will there be greater works? In John 14:12 we read: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." Who does Jesus know? In John 10:27 we read: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me:" What is the work of the Lord? In John 6:29 we read: "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the (only) work of G-d, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Who does all of the creative work in us? In Philippians 1:6 we read: "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" How do you get this kind of faith to believe? In Hebrew 12:2 we read: " Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of G-d." Who can separate us (other than us) from the Love of the Lord G-d? In Romans 8:38-39 we read: " For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of G-d, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. G-d does not need your help dear one - you need His! Do not even try to help Him who created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain! Remember what happened to Uzzah who thought he could help the LORD? in 2 Samuel 6:6-7 we read: " And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of G-d, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. (Samuel 6-66) And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and G-d smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of G-d." G-d does not need religion or any man's help! His Promises Are Forever and Ever - Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Exodus 15: 26: "And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy G-d, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. Matthew 7:7: ""Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 21:22: "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Deuteronomy 31:8: It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:6: Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your G-d who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:5: Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your G-d is with you wherever you go." 1 Peter 5:7: Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Hebrews 13:5-6: Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Matthew 28:20: Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Hebrews 13:6: So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to G-d. And the peace of G-d, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Psalm 55:22: Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love G-d all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Joshua 1:5: No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 2 Timothy 1:7: For G-d gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 1 Chronicles 28:20: Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord G-d, even my G-d, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. Hebrews 4:16: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Micah 7:7: But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the G-d of my salvation; my G-d will hear me. Hebrews 13:1-25: Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for G-d will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ... Revelation 3:10: Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Luke 21:34-36: "But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:28: Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Micah 7:8: Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. Psalm 73:23-26 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but G-d is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’" Isaiah 41:10-13 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your G-d; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your G-d, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." 1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. G-d is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Jeremiah 31:1-40 "At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the G-d of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people." Thus says the Lord: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. ... John 14:1-31 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in G-d; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" ... Revelation 12:14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. Luke 12:15 And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Matthew 24:20-22: Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Matthew 24:21-22 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Isaiah 3:10-11 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen." Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Isaiah 44:1-28 "But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. This one will say, ‘I am the Lord's,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord's,’ and name himself by the name of Israel." ... Psalm 91:1-16 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ... Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 1 Chronicles 29:11-13: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our G-d, and praise your glorious name. Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of G-d, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 17:1-18 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk." And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." ... Galatians 5:1-26 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ... Isaiah 3:9 For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. Proverbs 1:33: But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster." James 1:18: Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Hebrews 12:29: For our G-d is a consuming fire. Hebrews 11:35-40: Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ... Philippians 4:3: Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Romans 8:7: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to G-d, for it does not submit to G-d's law; indeed, it cannot. Luke 6:1-49: On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" And Jesus answered them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of G-d and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" And he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." ... Matthew 28:1-20: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ... Matthew 24:15-21 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ... Matthew 24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Haggai 1:13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, "I am with you, declares the Lord." Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord. Daniel 12:1 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. Genesis 28:15: Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 2 Timothy 3:1-4: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of G-d, 2 Corinthians 4:4: In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of G-d. Isaiah 1:1-31: The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. ... Genesis 31:3: Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you." Revelation 5:10: And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our G-d, and they shall reign on the earth." Isaiah 33:14: The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" Acts 6:1-7:60: Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of G-d to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. ... Isaiah 60:1-22 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. ... Exodus 20:17: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." Psalm 139:1-24: To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. ... Matthew 28:19-20: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." If you ask not, you will receive not!