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Should Christians read the Revelation?
by Martin De Beer Many people the world over are extremely interested in when the world will end. Consequently it is no wonder that many contemporary writers love writing fantasy stories about the end time and even future times, after an apocalypse, an event that even unbelievers expect will happen. Some of these fantasies pretend to be based on Biblical fact and therefore they are quite convincing to many gullible Believers. The authors of the "Biblical versions" tend to make fortunes from books, movie rights, public speaking engagements and weekly sermons. But if we have a slightly more than basic knowledge of Biblical prophecy, we can easily discern between true messengers of God, interpreting Scripture and prophecy, and deceivers selling fantasy and fables for the Truth. 2 Pet 1:16 For not having followed fables having been cunningly devised, but becoming eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus Christ, we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord. Unfortunately, given the amount of Christians falling for these fantasies and fables, it is quite obvious that many do not read the books of prophecy or read them without a structured approach and an earnest desire to really see what they show, to become eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus Christ which He so wants to show us. Dan 10:11 And he said to me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright. For to you I am now sent. And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling. Dan 10:12 Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard. And I have come for your words. They appear to read without actually comprehending or analysing what they are reading. Maybe the Holy Spirit just isn't guiding and enlightening them to see the glorious vision? The Supreme Authority on anything, including prophecy, is the Word, Jesus Christ. All prophecy came from Him through the prophets, but as Christians we have the New Testament which contains prophecies delivered directly and personally by Jesus Christ Himself. On earth Jesus provided us with many prophetic utterances and after His ascension He delivered the most complete and penultimate prophecy of all, the Revelation. I say penultimate because the final chapter of this prophecy is yet to come: Rev 10:4 And when the seven thunders spoke their sounds, I was about to write. And I heard a voice from Heaven saying to me, Seal up what things the seven thunders spoke, and do not write these things. In the Revelation, read with Old Testament prophecies, Jesus Christ gave us an extremely detailed description of the end times. But before we become mesmerised by the myriad of prophetic interpretations around, we need to heed Jesus' general prophecy and advice relating to divergent interpretations: Mat 24:3 And as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world? Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Even the disciples were inquisitive as to the end and Jesus answered them readily, which shows that it isn't wrong to seek answers relating to the end times and that Jesus really wants to provide answers to our questions. Amo 3:7 For the Lord Jehovah will do nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. But at the same time Jesus warns us that we need to be very cautious that no one deceives us. Especially in our current era we need to take heed of and discern between the Truth and the agents of deception, the agents of the Liar, Satan. Unfortunately, it would seem, very few Christians actually know about this warning, or knowing of it don't take it seriously because they are literally deceived around every nook and cranny. For these, prophecy is transformed into an impenetrable maze, making them completely reliant on the deceivers for guidance! Mat 24:5 For many will come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and will deceive many. This short and seemingly straight forward sentence is actually much more complicated than it seems. It actually has two possible interpretations and the most apparent is the least dangerous of all. The most apparent is deceivers alleging themselves to be Christ. There have been a few of these through the centuries, but Believers in general have not fallen for their farce. The word "Christ" in this sentence is "anointed" in Greek: saying, I am anointed. There have been many acknowledging Jesus as an historical fact, whilst either emphatically or implicitly presenting themselves as being especially anointed, supposedly in service to Jesus, but actually striving for their own or the collective satanic agenda on earth. To acknowledge Jesus as an historical fact and person is quite different to acknowledging Him as the Word become flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, God, who died for our sins, rose from the dead and sits on the right hand of the Father in Heaven where He intercedes, day and night, for the Faithful. All Muslims acknowledge Jesus Christ as a prophet and some Jews acknowledge Him as an historical person, but then often as the son of a Jewish prostitute by a Roman soldier who is currently boiling in human excrement in Hell! These two examples clearly show that one can acknowledge Jesus as a person without acknowledging Him for what He truly was: God with us, Immanuel. 1 Joh 2:22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist. 1 Joh 2:23 Everyone who denies the Son neither has the Father. The one confessing the Son also has the Father. 1 Joh 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the antichrist you heard is coming, and even now is already in the world. Any preacher who declares that the Jews, for example, don't need Jesus Christ is obviously antichrist, these verses say so? No matter how much they read from the Bible or use Jesus' Name they deny His function as the final and complete atonement for sins and teach that Jewish rituals, which He said He came to fulfil, still provide atonement before the Father. These and their followers must obviously be illiterate or comprehensively impaired: "Everyone who denies the Son neither has the Father". There have been and are still many of this kind of deceiver and they have deceived and still are deceiving many. Is Jesus referring to this second group? I believe so, due to the use of the word "many" to depict the amount of deceivers and the amount of people actually deceived. We miss this warning because as long as someone doesn't actually claim to be the Christ we believe this warning not to be applicable? Then if they just use the word "Jesus" now and then and read and quote from the Bible we believe that they are acknowledging Jesus, when their actions show they don't know the real Jesus at all. Mat 7:16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Mat 7:20 Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. Mat 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? Mat 7:23 And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness! Mat 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet. Mat 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places. Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. Wars have always been with us but in the past nations were much more honest with each other. They disagreed, they fought and they returned to normality. Today they pretend diplomacy, whilst waging economic warfare which mainly only impacts on the poor, they speak of peace and diplomacy whilst unleashing savage and often barbaric proxy armies on innocent people, including fellow Christians, and for decades they engage in "cold wars" rather than meet outside the schoolyard after school and sort out their differences quickly and effectively, whether through dialogue or an actual one-on-one fistfight. Thus we have never experienced wars and more especially rumours of war like we do now. But Jesus says quite unambiguously "but the end is not yet", "these are the beginning of sorrows", the build up to the Tribulation. So why do Christians expect the end now? Because they don't know their Bible? Mat 24:9 Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted and will kill you. And you will be hated of all nations for My name's sake. Christians have been persecuted through the centuries but much of the world was regarded as being "Christian" in recent history. It was almost a sort of honour to be a Christian from or in a Christian country. This situation has changed irreversibly: although some nations might still allege to be "Christian" they often lie because their "Christianity" is mostly perverted, void of Love. True Christians are increasingly being branded radical, together with Muslims, because they not only see but increasingly resist the lies and the Liar. Consequently we aren't there yet but getting there fast, to the point that no nation will even want to describe themselves as "Christian" and Christians will be persona non grata. This has not come to fruition yet and consequently we are still at the beginning of sorrows. To expect Christ to return now is tragic, in the sense that you have to be illiterate, handicapped with respect to basic linguistic comprehension or brainwashed and part of the Nicolaitans who ultimately reject Jesus and want to make Him to be a liar, to believe this. Yet many, if not most, Christians do! (Please to see my article Who were the Nicolaitans?) Mat 24:10 And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another. The world is completely offended by the Nicolaitanism which has rampaged across our planet for the last decade and a half or so. Unbelievers especially, are protesting and their protests are gaining impetus and popularity. The only way for the Nicolaitans to regain popular support is by "softening" their campaign against humanity and seemingly giving humanity what they want: apparent justice and feigned peace. In order to obtain this swing in popular sentiment, heads will need to roll. Soon we shall see, until now, secretive actions being revealed to such an extent that Edward Snowden will look like a vault rather than a whistleblower, by comparison. Isn't this exactly what the Pope is constantly suggesting, this change? Soon, the upcoming Nicolaitans will betray the spent Nicolaitans in sacrifice to their objects of subjecting humanity to their reign. People will be so impressed that they will embrace these "new" leaders and the Elect, warning of the farce and resisting the "saviours", will be betrayed and hated and the actual persecution of the true Christians will begin. Mat 24:11 And many false prophets will rise and deceive many. Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will become cold. Mat 24:13 But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe. I have already referred to these false prophets above and do so in every article because they abound and their deception is tragic in its ability to deceive Christians. Yes, how many Christians clap hands, sing Jesus songs and then scream crucify Him, in contemporary terms: bomb them! Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me. How many Christians care about Palestinian boys on a beach being blown to shreds by F-16's just because they're Palestinian, or a drowned little Syrian boy, washed up on a beach and who died because his parents tried to get him out of a war zone created by hypocrites? Instead of challenging their preachers and representatives or taking to the streets with unbelievers and crying "Stop!" most are crying "More!" Iniquity abounds, their love has become cold and if they call themselves Christians they are disgusting, for they have no Love at all. They are Nicolaitans and Jesus hates their deeds and teachings. We need to resist these and separate from them if we want to be kept safe. (Please to see my article Who were the Nicolaitans?) Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come. I am absolutely convinced that it is this arrogant, presumptuous and deceptive interpretation of this verse that has most Christians duped? We encounter so many ministers from pulpits, owners and authors on websites and owners, administrators, presenters or guests on "Christian" television channels declaring that they, through television and the internet, are currently fulfilling this prophecy. So, the end follows immediately or very soon, according to Jesus? Quite right, but only when taken out of complete context! Consequently this is a fatal deception because it ultimately isn't true. My question is whether this deception is intentional or merely due to Scriptural ignorance? These, supposedly holding theological qualifications or claiming ability or authority, I struggle to accept this deception as merely accidental. Ultimately whichever explanation is advanced it provides no excuse: Jas 3:1 My brothers, do not be many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. The first question that we need to ask is: the gospel according to whom? The gospel teaching that Christians should be materialistically prosperous or they're doing something wrong and not acceptable to God? The gospel that unless you contribute to, or their favourite partner with, their ministry you probably won't enjoy what they're selling, whatever that may be, exactly? Unless you pay money you cannot receive the secrets, which they call resources and the keys, to the Truth? What of the tacit teaching that only they, or certain people within their ministry or sphere of influence, have the power to heal or the anointing of prophecy to which gospel does this teaching subscribe? What of strict Sabbath adherence and adherence on the seventh day and not the first or the first and not the seventh? What of baptism, infant or adult? What of tithing, required or not? What of strict legalistic requirements or following Jewish prescripts? What of extremely liberal or free versions allowing almost anything, like Christian swingers? These are but a few versions of possible gospels out there and all are being dispersed or broadcast across the world via television and the internet. But our verse refers to "this gospel of the kingdom", singular, so which one should we choose? Which one should the unbeliever believe? Given the amount of differing gospels presented by Christianity, and the amount of veiled or open doctrinal animosity between them (read a few Christian blogs to witness), the unbeliever would probably be quite justified in rejecting them all rather than being confused by trying to decide between them or being deceived into following Nicolaitan teachings? Rom 2:14 For when the nations, who do not have the Law, do by nature the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law unto themselves; Rom 2:15 who show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and the thoughts between one another accusing or even excusing one another, And what would this Law be? Mat 22:37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. Mat 22:39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. I see many unbelievers who exhibit more love towards others and subject to their consciences more willingly than many supposed "Christians". Have you experienced this too? Will God judge these for failing to accept Jesus when Christians were presenting them with so many divergent versions of what to believe? This we don't know, but on the basis of Romans 2:14, I would argue that they "do not have the Law" due to our failure as ambassadors, rather than their rebellion or disobedience! If they are lost their blood is essentially on our hands for failing to stand up and speak out? (Eze 33:6) 1 Cor 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Subsequently it seems that what is being broadcast to the world is the gospel of Christian confusion, rather than the Gospel of the Kingdom. Mankind is obviously so caught up in deceptive doctrines and dogmas or so limited by prevailing circumstance, as is shown by the letters to the seven churches, that God can hardly leave this important mission up to us? If we have actually read the book of Revelation we would know that we are not at this point in time, yet. We are only at the beginning of sorrows, the following predictions, Matthew 24:9 and further, still need to happen. Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those dwelling on the earth, even to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, Rev 14:7 saying with a great voice, Fear God and give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Rev 14:8 And another angel followed, saying, The great city, Babylon, has fallen, has fallen; because of the wine of the anger of her fornication; she has made all nations to drink. Rev 14:9 And a third angel followed them, saying with a great voice, If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark in his forehead or in his hand, Rev 14:10 he also will drink of the wine of the anger of God, having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. Would "this Gospel of the Kingdom" be anything other than "the Everlasting Gospel"? Because John is being shown visions spanning two thousand years, narrowed to one hundred and focussing on seven, we should be careful not to absolutely insist that chapters must follow in chronological order but expect them to overlap as and when expedient to the vision as a whole. But when we apply our sound minds to these verses we realise that this Gospel is preached in the Tribulation at a time when mankind is no longer musing as to the identity of the Antichrist and the False Prophet but know exactly who they are and are exposed to their teaching and whims every single day! Definitely not now? This angel preaches the everlasting Gospel in the proximity of the fall of Babylon and the institution of the mark of the beast. Now, unless I am hopelessly ignorant of historic and contemporary fact I have not seen Babylon fall nor been subjected to the choice of taking the mark of the beast or being unable to buy or sell? Thus it should be quite obvious that this lie is being used to send people scurrying, at whim, whenever these deceivers decide and predict that the world will end, every few years or so, on the basis of ever changing dates and events: the New Millennium, some astrological occurrence, Blood Moons, Yom Kippur 2015, etc. Most astounding is that many of these predictions stem from the exact same sources (people), proven false prophets by their predictions failing, yet people keep on believing and supporting them! It would seem that people in antiquity were much more intelligent than contemporary supposedly educated people? Mat 24:15 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand). Mat 24:16 Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains. Mat 24:17 Let him on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; Mat 24:18 nor let him in the field turn back to take his clothes. Mat 24:19 And woe to those who are with child, and to those who give suck in those days! Mat 24:20 But pray that your flight is not in the winter, nor on the sabbath day; Mat 24:21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be. This will happen before the end too? Unless you live in contemporary Palestine, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Lebanon or the Ukraine you probably can only pretend to be in these circumstances, now? Reference to the Sabbath would suggest the application of Sabbath laws at that time. Now, here in South Africa, the Sabbath, whether the seventh or the first day, is pretty much business as usual and this warning to pray that our flight is not on or complicated by the Sabbath obviously isn't currently applicable. Because Jesus issued this warning we must expect that to change, but it hasn't yet. Mat 24:22 And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Jesus ensures us that the days are shortened. From prophecy it seems that the first half of the Tribulation will mostly be hard but bearable, for Believers, and extremely interesting for analysts. The second half will be total insanity and mayhem, but the church will be delivered and provided for. Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it. Mat 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect. Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you beforehand. Mat 24:26 Therefore if they shall say to you, Behold, He is in the desert! Do not go out. Behold, He is in the secret rooms! Do not believe it. We have already touched on these deceivers, who people regard as especially "anointed", whether as healers, prophets or preachers. We see people crossing continents and oceans just to be touched by these in some way, when my Bible says that these abilities are resident in each Believer through the indwelling of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. We can expect this to escalate towards the end, like a continuous and widespread magic show! So, if you're very into signs, miracles and spiritual experiences you need to be exceptionally careful, whether you are attending church to the edification of your brothers and sisters in Christ and to share with them in glorifying our risen Lord, or ultimately after a magic show and amusement? There is nothing wrong with signs and wonders and they can provide tremendous edification, but when they are the focus, rather than Jesus, they are probably (black) magic rather than the power of God in action. Mat 24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. We shall all see Him come we won't need telling! Mat 24:28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered. Wherever Satan plants a lie, there his high flying agents will be gathered because they need to be fed and they live off of the dead and rotting, the victims of lies. Mat 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Mat 24:30 And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory. Note: immediately after or at the end of the Tribulation. In other words, people looking to eclipses, blood moons and whatever signs in the universe as signs and predicting the end to happen without the Antichrist and False Prophet having been identified and holding power for seven years, are clearly delirious or absolute deceivers trying to make Jesus out to be a liar: 2 Thes 2:3 Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition, 2 Thes 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God. Mat 24:31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 1 Cor 15:52 in a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet. For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. 1 Thes 4:15 For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not go before those who are asleep. 1 Thes 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. 1 Thes 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord. When? Immediately after or at the very end of the Tribulation, obviously not before. Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When its branch is still tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near. Mat 24:33 So you, likewise, when you see all these things, shall know that it is near, at the doors. Mat 24:34 Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled. The generation that witnesses all these things: the identification of the Antichrist and False Prophet, the three angels preaching the everlasting Gospel, announcing the fall of Babylon and warning against serving the beast and worshipping his image, that generation will not pass until all is fulfilled and Jesus returns. Mat 24:35 The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away. Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels of Heaven, but only My Father. This verse unambiguously states that no one, absolutely no one, knows the day or the hour. This verse seems to give deceivers free reign to publish thumb suck theories and fables. These are often based on Jewish feasts or connected to astrological occurrences. These theories and fables are clearly nonsense. Why, because they would enable mankind to establish an exact date? We can be quite certain that His return will not be on any Jewish feast or coincide with any predictable planetary or stellar event. People making these claims obviously don't see Jesus as the Truth if they believe they are able to predict the day, at least? And what of Christians who believe their fables? Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man. Mat 24:38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. Mat 24:39 And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will be the coming of the Son of Man. People will not be expecting His return, carrying on quite normally. So dates, specifically identified for His return, can be safely disregarded as the nonsense which they are. Any other day, when no one is expecting it, is much more likely, Jesus says so. Mat 24:40 Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Mat 24:41 Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Mat 24:42 Therefore watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes. Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the steward of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be dug through. Mat 24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for in that hour you think not, the Son of Man comes. From the positioning of this promise and prediction in this whole prophecy, delivered by Jesus, and on applying basic, normal rules of sequence, that most people of sound intellect and logic apply, this occurs immediately after or at the very end of the Tribulation after or at the time depicted in Matthew 24:29. Mat 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord has made ruler over His household, to give them food in due season? Mat 24:46 Blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find him doing so when He comes. Mat 24:47 Truly I say to you that He shall make him ruler over all His goods. So we need to keep watching, without being confused by occurrences and reports, exhibiting patience, knowing that there is an appointed time which no man knows and no man can influence. We need to tirelessly present the Truth about what is actually going to happen to our fellow Believers and the world at large. We can only have the requisite knowledge if we actually read the Revelation, hear it and take it to heart. Mat 24:48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delays His coming, Mat 24:49 and shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, Mat 24:50 the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he does not look for Him, and in an hour which he does not know. Mat 24:51 And He shall cut him apart and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Are these deceivers not doing exactly this? Preaching and spreading rumours of doom, terrorising uninformed Believers and unbelievers alike, with an endless torrent of false predictions, striking their fellow servants with their tongues and pens, at least? And the longer the end takes to occur, the more they will do this, because everybody and anybody knows that things cannot continue like now. Having vested a culture of horror and doom, they and their followers and their successors will probably not be able to stop, but their fate is clearly sealed in these final verses of this prophecy. The Revelation is the only book in the Bible which starts and ends with an unambiguous blessing. Rev 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads and hears the Words of this prophecy, and the ones keeping the things written in it, for the time is near. Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the Words of the prophecy of this Book. From the above discussion, the blessing is quite evident? Anyone who has actually read the book of Revelation knows what will happen and should, at least, have the broad chronological order of coming events. Now, anybody having read the book of Revelation and discussing it with others, how much more will they know, remember and learn? Having read the Revelation and discussing it, the words will surely be committed to memory and one will immediately be able to discern whether an end time interpretation or prediction is in accordance with the Word or not, whether it comes from the Truth or the Liar, Satan? We shall immediately be able to differentiate between unceasing predictions of end time dates as complete nonsense or as containing some possibility. We shall be able to identify the deceivers screaming warnings of the supposed looming "Gog, Magog" war, described in Ezekiel 38, as deceivers: Revelation 20 places this war in its chronological position - it only occurs after Satan has been bound a thousand years and is subsequently freed. From my limited knowledge of history, since the beginning of time (Creation), but especially since Jesus, I cannot identify a single millennium in which one might suggest that Satan had been bound. But people fall for this hoax, the deceivers get very rich and people are made to look in the wrong direction, when the Nicolatans (antichrist establishment, illuminati, new world order, Bilderbergers, Black Nobility or whatever other name one might wish to call them) are right amongst us? Any Christian who does not read the Revelation is essentially rejecting the promised blessing and, more importantly, setting him or herself up to be deceived! Now, some say that the Revelation is too difficult to understand. These are probably the victims of deceivers wanting to complicate the Book and prophecy in general, by way of using foreign terminology, insisting that most figures and objects are symbolic or that one needs a thorough knowledge of Jewish culture and religion, Judaism, in order to understand prophecy. The terminology is unnecessary, common sense is usually sufficient and mostly the Bible interprets symbols for us without us having to imagine an interpretation, if we only know our Bible! The supposed requirement of knowledge relating to Jewish culture and religion is complete and absolute nonsense. If anything, such knowledge will serve to confuse and deceive rather than clarify anything. (Should my readers accept this allegation with an open mind, at this point, and continue reading my articles they might come to agree, on the evidence provided) But Satan's objects are achieved by creating this feeling of inadequacy in Believers: they miss out on the promised blessing and can be duped very easily. Others say that the contents of the Book are too distressing. These have probably only read until a certain point or their attention has only ever been brought to the "apocalyptic" portions, never to the promises and provisions for the Faithful. Alternatively they might secretly doubt their ability to endure, put differently, the strength of their faith: they fear the future because they are uncertain whether they will be able to resist in the face of death and persecution. How many of us, after seeing our loved ones or friends beheaded or crucified by ISIS/ISIL/IS or whatever acronym the Devil might prefer, would still be brave enough to proclaim: I follow Jesus? Consequently they too miss out on the promised blessing and can be duped very easily. Still others flatly contend that they are not interested in the contents of the Book as they won't be here to experience it. These are those who subscribe to a pre-Tribulation Rapture. This in itself is a rather rebellious and arrogant approach: most Believers desire and expect blessing and when Jesus offers blessing for merely reading, hearing and keeping the Book at heart, they refuse that offer. Can they truly take up their cross if they even refuse to read, hear and keep at heart? That being the case, can they honestly expect to be Raptured or are they so smug that they are the ones "Left Behind"? 2 Thes 2:3 Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition, 2 Thes 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God. Imagine how many current "soft" Christians might fall away in the absence of a pre-Tribulation Rapture? Met with the disappointment of having to endure the Tribulation and the torment of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, might they not capitulate rather than endure? Having believed this doctrine with all they have, might they not question everything because the expected Rapture didn't happen? We need to honestly answer the question: is our faith directed at our Promise of eternal life or do we believe for the current moment, for provision and comfort in the present era? Are we at risk of being deceived or are we already sold out to deception? The Revelation explains that what we have now is not the fulfilment of our hope, yet. We need to complete the journey and only at the appointed time, will all the Promises come to be. We need to be patient, in faith, and if we can't we won't endure. The ultimate question is: can we as creatures ask or demand of the Creator anything more than the salvation that we have in Jesus? Satan wants to rob. He wants to rob us of blessing and he wants to rob us of eternal life. Will we allow him? Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly. Hold fast to that which you have, so that no one may take your crown. In order to counter Satan's objects for your and my life, personally, and to be of real use and edification to Believers and unbelievers alike, we absolutely need to read, hear and take the book of Revelation to heart so that we shall see Jesus in and become eyewitnesses of, His wonderful majesty. Martin de Beer Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |