Category: prophecy

“Missing” People?

Friday, August 19, 2016

“He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:4,5 KJV).

If the LORD God Almighty can number and name the stars (which outnumber the grains of sand on every earthly beach combined!), knowing the whereabouts of every last human being is quite an easy task for Him!

While visiting a store, my eyes glimpsed a giant poster featuring information about and pictures of missing persons. Some of these individuals have been missing for nearly 20 years. One lady disappeared almost 40 years ago, still missing even today. Are they still living? Or, did they die long ago? We can only wonder what happened to them, and to all the countless others who have mysteriously disappeared throughout human history.

The good news is that there is a God, a loving and just God, and He will eventually set these things right. At the resurrection-rapture for Christians (Body of Christ—1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), or the resurrection for the Jewish kingdom saints before the Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6), or at the end of the Millennium for all the lost of the ages (Revelation 20:11-15), God will resurrect every single person who has ever lived. He has never lost track of even one of these 10 billion-plus souls or even one of these 10 billion-plus bodies. They are all somewhere, and while we may not know their whereabouts He certainly does!

Believers separated by time and/or tragedy will be united one day in heaven’s glory. Their relationships are not lost forever, only interrupted momentarily. People have a tendency to want God to “take care” of certain wrongful things, but if He is to “take care” of those disorderly things, He will have to force everything else to be right as well. That means “taking care” (in judgment) of every person without Jesus Christ. Friends, may we not hope for God to “take care” of all the world’s problems just yet. People still need to trust Jesus Christ and be saved from the wrath to come. Joyful reunions for us Christians will come in due time, but let us not rush it or worry about it! 🙂

To Sell a Bill of Goods

Sunday, August 14, 2016

“And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (2 Peter 2:3 KJV).

What does “make merchandise of [someone]” mean?

Scams abound everywhere—especially in the name of “Jesus Christ.” For example, take one minister’s modern-day television show. It markets provisions that will supposedly help people survive the end-times. The guy advertises a water filter and barrel to catch and store potable rainwater. For thousands of dollars (!), he sells buckets of food that will (allegedly) last his viewers through the seven years of the Tribulation! (Years ago, he threw in a “free” “marble” statue of “Jesus” with every order placed!) Cleverly, he even invited a guest speaker who was selling his anti-Rapture book. (After all, if you are misled to believe the Body of Christ is not going to be caught up into heaven before the seven years, then you will buy those “helpful supplies” to endure those years of hardship!)

In the context of today’s Scripture, the Apostle Peter mentioned holy men of God who spoke as the Holy Ghost moved them (chapter 1, verse 21). Contrast that with the false prophets of chapter 2 (today’s Scripture). Verses 1-3: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” God’s wrath will come upon them in due time!

To “make merchandise” means to “buy and sell as a peddler.” Using various trinkets and gimmicks, (covetous) religion always aims to cheat people out of their trust and money. They use “feigned” (insincere, fake) words—lies that sound so convincing. Remember, Jesus condemned the “thieves” who were operating a dishonest business in the Jerusalem Temple (Matthew 21:12,13). Friends, beware of the false teachers… they have a “bill of goods” to sell you!

Not a Bother to Satan! #3

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV).

A wise Christian brother observed long ago: “There are some believers whom Satan seldom bothers because they do not cause him too much worry, they do not threaten his program; but strong Christians are always his targets and he puts countless snares and pitfalls in their way.” How appropriate, even today!

Satan does not like God’s truth reaching the masses. So, his evil world system will entice God’s messenger to change the message. If the Christian refuses to apostatize, but rather faithfully continues sharing God’s pure Word with others, then Satan will move from attacking the message to attacking the messenger. The Christian will be persecuted, discouraged, or even killed!

Today’s Scripture describes how Satan had neutralized Israel. Confused and weakened, she was no bother to him anymore. Spiritual ignorance would continue among the Gentiles! But, individual Jews had accepted Jesus as Messiah-King and had separated themselves from their apostate nation. Satan turned his attention to these believers. The Devil and his allies persecuted those believing Jews into the early Acts period. Refusing to change God’s message, those Jewish kingdom believers were thus attacked literally and physically. Israel’s corrupt religious leaders arrested, imprisoned, and even killed Jesus’ followers! That believing remnant in Israel had certainly caused Satan much grief, and God permitted him to take their lives. Nevertheless, they were true to God’s Word to the end.

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). As the wise Christian brother wrote decades ago, friend, you attempt to let Christ Jesus live His life in you, and you will learn that Satan will not like it! Still, may you be a bother to Satan! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Do Isaiah 2:4 and Joel 3:10 contradict each other?”

Not a Bother to Satan! #2

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV).

A wise Christian brother observed long ago: “There are some believers whom Satan seldom bothers because they do not cause him too much worry, they do not threaten his program; but strong Christians are always his targets and he puts countless snares and pitfalls in their way.” How appropriate, even today!

The writer of today’s Scripture, penning it during the Acts period, rebuked Israel of her corporate negligence to learn the lessons of the Old Testament Scriptures. Ignoring the hundreds of prophecies she had heard and read for centuries, Israel had recently and publicly rejected her Messiah and demanded the Roman government crucify Him. Israel had utterly failed to learn God’s Word! Since the Jews did not know God’s Word, they would be unable to teach it to the Gentiles as God intended (cf. Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23). God had called Israel to be separate, so Israel could be a light to the nations. Yet, Israel allowed Satan to deceive her with religious tradition, pagan idolatry, et cetera. Down she went!

Sadly, the professing church finds itself in the same awful predicament today. It too has not learned the lessons of the Old Testament. It has not learned from Israel’s mistakes. It too has abandoned God’s Word to it. Like national Israel, most church members today can only handle spiritual milk, Bible basics. They ask the same old questions they have asked for centuries. Since they never approach God’s Word rightly divided, they will keep asking those same childish questions and never get meaningful answers. Instead of being mature adults in Scripture, able to stomach spiritual meat, they must be taught rather than teach! As Israel will become one day, may they also become a bother to Satan!

When the Land Vomited (Thrice)

Thursday, July 21, 2016

“Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:24,25 KJV).

The land has vomited twice; it will again!

Leviticus chapter 18 is JEHOVAH God commanding Israel through Moses not to participate in the various graphic activities of the heathen in the Promised Land. He is bringing the Jews into the land that the Gentiles have defiled with child sacrifices, incest, homosexuality, bestiality (sex with animals), adultery, and so on. God is evicting the evil Canaanites so that His people inherit the land that belongs to Him. The Jews are to value and obey His Word, lest the land “vomit” them out as well!

Verses 26-30: “[26] Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: [27] (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) [28] That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. [29] For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. [30] Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.”

Unfortunately, Israel never heeded the warnings. She became increasingly idolatrous in the following centuries. With the deaths of Moses and Joshua, Israel sank spiritually and morally. As God promised, the Promised Land did eventually “vomit” out Israel. The Assyrian and Babylonian armies came and took the Jews into foreign lands as prisoners of war; the Gentiles took over the land of Palestine again. One day, however, the Promised Land will “vomit” out the Gentiles, and God will bring Israel back into it forever!

Bible Q&A #285: “Ephesians 3:15—Who are God’s family in heaven and on earth?”

Our Refuge, Strength, and Help

Monday, July 18, 2016

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 KJV).

Despite all the recent violent acts in our world, today’s Scripture is just as true as it ever was!

A frequent complaint made against the Bible is that it has “no relevance” to us today. Scientific achievements, education, and technological advancements have allegedly replaced the need for the Holy Scriptures. Mankind believes that, because he has leapt many intellectual hurdles in recent decades, he has progressed enough to no longer need God’s insight. The Bible, while “nice reading,” has been relegated by most to an inferior status. It is said, “Only fools believe that old Book!”

Despite all the educational institutions, religions, political platforms, social movements, scientific innovations, and technological discoveries in the world, however, man’s fundamental problem—sin—remains. Times have indeed changed; unfortunately, mankind never has! Fortunately, God has never changed either! For such an “old Book,” the Bible still provides a logical answer. We must seek help from Someone beyond our human frailties!

Today’s Scripture (yet future) finds Israel at the very end of her quest for righteousness. She has exhausted all avenues of deliverance. The Antichrist has failed her. Her religion has failed her. Education has failed her. Her human “allies” have failed her. Economics have failed her. She has finally come to realize what God had been trying to teach her for the last 4,000 years. He is her only hope. He, not her works, is the answer to her sin problem. He, not her politics, is the answer to her enemies. He, not her education, is the answer to her confusion. He, not her economics, is the answer to her poverty.

Read today’s Scripture in context. Psalm 46 is only 11 verses. In it, we see Christ’s glorious Second Coming to Earth, Him rescuing Israel from all her enemies, Him restoring Israel to Himself, and Him establishing His earthly kingdom. It was all because of Him and His faithfulness, not because of her!

Friends, as our world becomes more chaotic, more uncertain, the unchanging truths of the eternal Word of God must be forefront in our minds. The Lord Jesus Christ—our refuge, our strength, a very present help in trouble. He is our only hope, too! 🙂

Spiritualize to Tell Spiritual Lies

Friday, July 1, 2016

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt” (Amos 9:13 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture apply to us today?

Recently, I watched “Christian” (?) television to see many of today’s “Christian” charlatans. They talk about “Jesus” and Scripture, but they are seriously deficient of any clear Gospel message and greatly wanting of any solid Bible understanding.

Two men—one a well-known “faith healer” (still aging) and the other a self-proclaimed “apostle”—sat around a table of prayer requests. The “apostle” told people to give to the faith healer’s ministry so God could bless them. They were to “claim their debt-free BMW in Jesus’ name” as a young lady had recently (allegedly) done using his ministry.

This “apostle” outright told his viewers Amos 9:13 was “written to them.” They needed to claim their prosperity and demand God give them material wealth. “You will reap so many blessings you will not be able to harvest them before the sower will sow more seeds of blessings!” This is utter abuse of God’s precious words. Like so many, he spiritualized the Bible and lied about the Bible. To him, it did not mean literal plowing, literal crops, and literal harvesting. Yet, that is exactly what the Prophet Amos meant… and he was not writing to or about us in the Dispensation of Grace!

Amos 9:11-15 clearly declares today’s Scripture is about the nation Israel. When Jesus Christ returns (cf. Acts 15:14-18), He will rejuvenate Israel’s agrarian lifestyle. In God’s earthly kingdom, there will be so many literal crops harvested in Israel’s land they will not get it all harvested before planting the next crop!

Amos 9:14,15 supplements today’s Scripture: “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”

Bible Q&A #280: “Are 2 Thessalonians 1:9 and Revelation 14:10 contradictory?”

False Prophets

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:11 KJV).

While actually describing the future state of the world, today’s Scripture is easily seen today.

Recently, while visiting a local park, I encountered four cult members distributing free literature at a sidewalk booth. They undeniably call themselves “Christians.” While they were friendly people, and probably more generous and loving than the average Christian, their doctrine is so far removed from sound Bible teaching that they could not be rightly called and never be rightly called Christians. Having spoken with a friend who was saved out of that group, having read their literature, and having spoken with several of them over the years, I know their denominational hierarchy has them slaving away in doing good works in hopes of them entering God’s kingdom. You can be sure these four heard the Gospel of God’s Grace from me. What they do with God’s Son is on them now!

The Lord Jesus gave His Second Olivet Discourse in Matthew chapter 24—the context of today’s Scripture. His apostles wanted to know the characteristics of the end-times, events that would occur leading up to His return (Second Coming). He issued seven warnings not to be deceived (verses 4,5,11,23-26). The chief characteristic of the end-times is deception. In the words of Jesus Christ, “Many” deceivers deceiving “many.” Why?

People will be claiming to be “Christ,” God manifested in human flesh. There will be people professing to be “prophets,” God’s spokespeople to mankind. People will be performing miracles using Satan’s power, but claiming to be God’s miracle-workers. They will all pave the way for the Antichrist, the epitome of deception, the Man of Sin and the Son of Perdition (Damnation), the physical representation of Satan’s lie program. The world having been so deceived in the 2,000 years since Jesus spoke today’s Scripture, it is so easy to see just how easily the Antichrist will enter with little opposition. Having rejected the love of the truth, they can now enjoy “strong delusion [deception]” and “believe a lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:2-12).

Friends, let us stay with the Word of God rightly divided. ‘Tis the only way to avoid the deceivers!

Our special-edition Bible Q&A #275: “Was the Apostle Paul a false prophet?”

The Good Shepherd

Friday, June 17, 2016

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14,15 KJV).

Jesus came to do what Israel’s shepherds failed to do!

Four primary Bible chapters feature lengthy, stinging rebukes to Israel’s corrupt religious leadership—Jeremiah chapter 23 (they pervert the Lord’s words), Ezekiel chapter 34 (they mislead the Lord’s people), Matthew chapter 23 (they feign to be the Lord’s people), and John chapter 8 (they are Satan’s children).

Jeremiah 50:6 says: “My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.” In Ezekiel 34:1-31, God sharply disapproves of the way Israel’s religious leaders are guiding the whole nation into error. He promises to come personally and deliver His people from these evil leaders, and to cause His people to return to Him (Millennial Kingdom). This is the context of Christ’s earthly ministry: He is the Good Shepherd come to lead the wayward sheep of Israel back into His ways (today’s Scripture). In the Four Gospels, we read about “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24) and Israel being a flock of sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34).

Peter wrote of Israel’s believing remnant who responded to Jesus Christ by faith: “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). Hebrews 13:20 says: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will….”

Ancient Israel’s shepherds were focused more on themselves than leading God’s people. Then, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, came. He selflessly gave for Israel instead of selfishly taking from her. He laid down His life for His sheep, to save them from their sins and the ravening wolves of Satan, and to make them His people able to do His will!

Please see our related archived Bible Q&A article for additional insight: https://forwhatsaiththescriptures.wordpress.com/2016/01/25/is-john-10-16-the-body-of-christ/.

Distress of Nations, With Perplexity

Monday, June 13, 2016

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:25,26 KJV).

If you think the nations are “distressed” today, just consider what prophecy holds!

With the dawn of instant communication, never has God’s Word reached more people and spread so far into the world as it has right now. Billions of printed Bibles in thousands of languages. Millions of Bible study resources in thousands of languages found online. Nevertheless, apathetic sentiment toward the Bible is increasingly becoming belligerent rejection. We in so-called “Christian America” are hearing more and more bad news concerning the breakdown of our society—civil unrest, financial uncertainty, mass murders, sexual deviations, political revolution, et cetera.

People in all nations are growing increasingly desperate in attempts to find meaning, love, acceptance, and gratification. It will only worsen. Others in all nations are growing increasingly desperate to find solutions to society’s problems by looking to politics, religion, economics, et cetera. That too will only worsen. Having rejected the light and life that God’s Word provides in Jesus Christ, they never cease to grope around in darkness in a frantic, panic, manic search! Oh, but, dear friends, what we see today is not as bad as it is going to get!

Today’s Scripture is extracted from Jesus’ Second Sermon on the Mount. After describing the various judgments in the Heavens, the Lord shifts focus to the Earth. Just before His Second Coming, as the seven-year Tribulation runs its course, we read of the “distress of nations, with perplexity… Men’s hearts failing them for fear….” “Distress” is translated “anguish” in 2 Corinthians 2:4—suffering or sorrow. “Perplexity” is “knowing no way out.” With sin reaching its pinnacle under the Antichrist, Jesus says the nations will finally reach “rock bottom.”

Thankfully, our world, although bad off, is not there yet! For now, our Dispensation of Grace will continue operating… until no one else wants to trust Christ (2 Peter 3:9)!