The End Times

Of course, it would be wonderful if our land could be, would be healed. Yesterday, of course, the 228th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, 1776, had been seven years of bloody fighting to about 1782-83. Four of us over, and things began to level out in 1814 September. The British, it's called the War of 1812, but really was more the War of 1814. The British were firing on Fort McHenry in Baltimore, and this amateur poet named Walter Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner. So it's the 200th year anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner. Star-Spangled Banner was set to music with an English drinking song, so it's very difficult to sing, really. But anyhow, that's sort of a side note. It somewhat ties in with what we're going to be talking about today, very sobering about this nation and about the world where we are today. We are constantly bombarded every day with the news of the deteriorating conditions on the world scene. Economic collapse, we're talking about the global economy is about to collapse, borders are being overrun by illegal aliens, mass murders, sexual immorality, terrorism, drug addiction, psychological disorders. One out of ten citizens in the U.S. on some kind of drug related to their mental state. War, rumors of war, upset weather, earthquakes. All of these things have greatly increased in recent times. Disease epidemics, this Ebola epidemic in Africa, already about 500 people are dead, and the list goes on and on. People become confused about end time events and wonder, is the great tribulation about to begin? Is there going to be nuclear war? Are those who are faithful to godly values going to be rounded up and sent to a detention camp? Well, I've been reading about that kind of thing since the 70s that it's going to take place. Not to say that it's not, because it's one of the things that's been about. So what do we know about end time events? What does the Bible really say? Can we get some of it straight in our minds? And let's start with what about the great tribulation? What is the hallmark that introduces the great tribulation? If you turn to Matthew 24, verse 15, Jesus Christ leaves no doubt with regard to this because Matthew 24, called the Olivet Prophecy in Matthew's account of it. Luke also has an account of it. The disciples asked two questions. What shall be the sign of the end of the age and the sign of your coming? In Matthew 24, in verse 15, when therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso reads, let him understand. Has the abomination of desolation been placed in the holy place? This word holy place in the Greek is topos. It means that place set aside a sacred place. And generally speaking, the Temple Mount, of course, has been viewed as the holy place. It is there on the Temple Mount that God placed his presence in the temple that Solomon built. Solomon built a temple on Mount Moriah. Then the Restoration Temple was built after that, after the Jews returned from Babylon in circle 538 BC. And they built a temple dedicated in 515 BC, but the Holy Spirit did not fill that temple. Haggai said it pointed toward a grander temple that was to come, and of course, pointing toward the church.

David had pitched a tabernacle on Mount Zion, which is somewhat southwest of the Temple Mount, and on Mount Zion, and Mount Zion symbolizes the church. So this holy place, and we'll talk more about this later on, the church has thought through the years that the Jews would build a temple and reinstitute temple worship. They have all the things set, the garments for the priests, the various accoutrements, instruments for temple worship. Supposedly they've identified the true bloodline of the priesthood, the kohin, and they are ready to go. But the Arabs occupy the Temple Mount. There are two imposing structures on the Temple Mount.

One, the Dome of the Rock, and the other, the Al-Aqsa Mosque. And so some have said, well, maybe they can build a temple alongside, and it goes back into Orthodox Jews. Some are so viewed in such a way that they say you can't even fly over it. You might defile it. So until it's been cleansed by the ashes of a red heifer, you can't build a temple there.

And of course that's not the viewpoint of everyone, but just giving you some of the ideas that are out there. So Christ says that when you see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place, who so reads, let him understand. Then it talks about fleeing and all of that. In verse 21, for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time, nor ever shall be. So obviously this is introducing the great tribulation. Now will it be as easy as it might sound here to identify the abomination of desolation? I don't know for sure how easy it's going to be. You turn back there to Daniel chapter 11, and you see there in Daniel 11, and also in 12 this abomination of desolation is spoken of.

In Daniel chapter 11, verse 31, an arm shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolation. Now there was a typical fulfillment of this by Antiochus Epiphanes in 166. In a statue, and of course this is according to the secular history of Jupiter Olympus in the holy place, it offered swine's blood on the altar and defiled the temple. On the heels of this came the Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabees, and eventually rested, controlled back of the temple mount until the Romans came and once again took over the temple mount in Jerusalem.

So we see here the typical fulfillment of this. Now you look at chapter 12, verse 5, And then I, Daniel, looked and beheld there stood a other two, the one on the one side of the bank of the river, and the other on the other side of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, how long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that lives forever, that it shall be for three and a half years, when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, O Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are close and sealed till the time of the end. And the Hebrew there is kets, kets, kets, it literally means time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. So apparently, during the time of the great tribulation, many do repent and turn. As in Daniel 7, these came out of great tribulation, those standing there.

Verse 11, And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, in the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be three and a half, well, the three hundred and ninety days. And it goes on to talk about 1335. I'm not getting into that. I don't know for sure the answer to that, neither do you. But a lot of speculation with regard to it, and some think they have it figured out. But anyhow, the main point is, the great tribulation is introduced by the placing of the abomination of desolation.

I do not believe that an abomination of desolation has been placed unless you look at the whole thing. It's already abominable what's there. But it doesn't seem to be the... there's no taking away of a daily sacrifice, even though, as we'll read later, the condition of Jerusalem is not what you would like in the spiritual sense.

The focal point of the world becomes Jerusalem, and it has increasingly become that, and it has been that really for centuries. Look at Zechariah chapter 12. Zechariah chapter 12.

In Zechariah chapter 12 verse 1, The burden of the word of the Eternal for Israel says the Eternal, which stretched forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the Spirit of man within him. This gives you the, if you want to call it, the credentials of the Creator, the one who created the heavens and the earth, who created man in his own image. I mean, he is able to speak. He has that authority. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. That's that whole area. It's called Palestine today. And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people, and all that burden themselves, with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, says the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, his rider with madness, and I will open my eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And he goes on and talks about God's intervention at that time. You look down at verse 10, it will take this kind of event to bring some of the Jews and shake them up to their senses so that they will turn to God. In verse 10, and I will pour upon the house of David, upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications, and they shall look on me whom they have pierced.

And they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. So it's going to take these kind of events to shake them up to the point, them being the Jews. Now you look at Revelation chapter 1, and you'll see a similar reference here to what we just read there in Zechariah 12.10.

In verse 7, behold, he comes with clouds. Jesus Christ, behold, he comes with clouds, every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindred to the earth, shall wail because of him, even so. Amen. Satan has set his sights on Jerusalem, and so the nations of the world have set their sights on Jerusalem. Here are some of the prophesied events concerning Jerusalem that we need to be aware of and watch forth. Jerusalem will be divided and given over to the nations. I'm reading from the Bible, my dear brother, and I'm reading from the Bible. This is not newspaper, this is not Fox, this is not CNN, this is not any commentator that you want to listen to or hear. This is what God says. And if we can't believe what God says, I don't see how we can possibly believe what the secular sources are saying, because basically the secular sources deny that God even exists, and furthermore they deny that Satan exists. So how in the world could they possibly understand? Now they can give information, and basically our television is bought and paid for by the Fortune 500 companies that sponsor the programs.

Fox is going to support the corporations. CNN is going to pretend to support the little people, but when all is said and done, they're really on the same side. In Revelation 11, verse 1, And there was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the angel stood saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and then that worship therein. Now, of course, this has been discussed pro and con, back in the church, out of the church, through the years. Is this temple of God that's being referred to here? Is that the physical structure that the Jews may build and re-institute temple worship in the future? They surely plan to. That is the plan. And the Temple Institute has dedicated itself to that end. In your search engine, Google put in Temple Institute. You'll read all of the stuff that comes up about it. Some say, well, this is the church. And of course, judgment is now upon the church, and we're being measured and weighed. Judgment is now on the house of God. So you could look at it in that sense, but there's more to it than that because it does get into specifics and into geography.

But the court which is about the temple leave out and measure it not, for it is given unto the ethnos, which can be translated Gentiles or nations, and the holy city, that's Jerusalem, shall they tread down for 42 months. Jerusalem will probably be placed under international control with the three major religions who claim to have a great interest in it, being able to frequent the city, go back into in it. If what we have taught for decades is indeed true concerning the Jews, reinstituting temple worship, then some type of peace accords have to be reached. Now, what does this tell us about current conditions? It tells us that ISIS will not control Jerusalem. ISIS is setting up a caliphate in Syria and Iraq. Will they be able to control Jerusalem and take over and eliminate the Jews? No. I don't know who will stop them when they will be stopped, but they will be stopped. We've read Zechariah chapter 12, that God is going to intervene in the course of when all nations surround Jerusalem. He's going to deliver them. They're going to look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him. And we read from Revelation 1.7 how that when he comes again, every eye shall see him. They'll look on him whom they have pierced. Jerusalem is the apple of God's eye. It is the sight that Christ will return to, and it will become the spiritual capital of the world. So we look at Isaiah 2. So some might say, well, there's going to be a nuclear bomb dropped on Jerusalem. No, I don't think so. You know, the nuclear fallout, even from this thing in Fukushima, Japan that happened two or three years ago, the radiation is now still spreading around the world, showing up on the West Coast. And the fallout from Chernobyl has been tremendous. Sometimes it takes 20 years for the radiation to take place to cause the various health problems, especially cancer, from that. And cancer in that area has exploded over the years. In Isaiah chapter 2, the word of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, or Amos, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, it shall come to pass in the last days. And when you see that phrase in the prophecies, the prophetic books, the last days, that's that time of merging into the millennium, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mount and shall be exalted among the hills, and all nations shall flow onto it.

And many people shall go and say, come and let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways. We will walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Now you look at Zechariah 14. There's no question that Jerusalem becomes the spiritual capital for the world, and God sets up his headquarters there under Christ and the saints. In Zechariah 14, verse 16, it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of the nations, after all of this war, after the seven seals, the seven trumpet plagues, which the seventh is divided into the seven vials of wrath, after all of that, there will be a lot of people die. There are not going to be all that many left by comparison. Shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which come against Jerusalem shall even go from year to year to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, and keep the feast of tabernacles. Have the holy days been done away with? Oh no. Holy days have not been done away with. They will never be done away with.

These are the feasts of the Eternal. They're not Jewish feasts. They're the feasts of God, as says in Leviticus 23, and it shall be that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up and come not, that they have no rain, there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. So we see it very clearly from the Bible. Now, on the other hand, Jerusalem is the apple of Satan's eye, and it is where he will make his last stand. His last stand will be in the environs of Jerusalem. Satan, the beast, the false prophet, will go out, dry up the river Euphrates, as he talks about in Revelation 16, clear the way for the nations to gather themselves to Armageddon for that great and final battle of the great day of God Almighty.

We could turn there and look at that, Revelation 16.

In Revelation 16, verse 12, the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. Now, some of these prophetic newsletters are almost laughable because Turkey has threatened to cut off the water coming down from the mountains there, flowing down to modern day Iraq and so on, cut off the water of the river Euphrates. And so, well, the Bible prophets are about to be fulfilled. No, this is not the work of Turkey or any other nation.

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles which go forth into the kings of the earth and of the whole world. See, what are they doing? They are working miracles.

If you're going to be deceived by a miracle, you're going to be deceived.

Together them together to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked. And nakedness symbolizes sin, and they shall see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew tongue Hanmigat. Armageddon is at vast plains. If you want to talk about vast in such a small area, it's sort of like a funnel that goes up the valley of Jezreel comes down toward Jerusalem. And it's like a funnel that comes down.

Jews claim that God gave Israel and, of course, Jerusalem to them as part of the Abrahamic covenant. It is their capital. It was a site where David pitched a tabernacle, the site of two temples. Christians view it as sacred because Jesus was born there and the church began there on the day of Pentecost. It is a place that Jesus will return to. It will be the spiritual capital of the world. Muslims view it as sacred and claim that it is a place where Mohammed ascended to heaven on a great white horse. And they built the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which literally means the father is mosque. They built the Al-Aqsa Mosque so that they could, quote, in their minds, claim to that area.

It is a city where the two witnesses will prophesy. So let's go back to Revelation 11. Maybe we'll learn something we haven't learned in the past with regard to this. In Revelation 11, it is the city that is Jerusalem. For three and a half years, the two witnesses are going to prophesy out of Jerusalem. They have great power, as we shall read here. And of course, they will have seems like supernatural protection because all kind of things are going to be raging round about. Verse 3, we read through verse 2 that Jerusalem will be divided and given over to the nations. And I will give power unto my two witnesses. They shall prophesy for three and a half years clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the whole earth. Now that's the reference to Zechariah chapter 4. We'll quickly look at that. Hold your place there, Zechariah chapter 4. This vision that Zechariah saw, as we're turning there, I will describe the vision. Zechariah saw this vision in which there was a candelabra, a bowl on top of it, two olive trees on either side of it, and seven candlesticks in the midst thereof. Zechariah chapter 4. Zechariah chapter 4 verse 11. Then answered I and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again and said unto him, These are the two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves. So the two witnesses preach powerfully, give a great witness. They are filled with the Holy Spirit. They are able to energize the hearers. And I answered again and said unto him, What are these two olive branches? Verse 13. And he answered and said, Don't you know what these are? And I said, No, my Lord. Then said, These are the two anointed ones, the two sons of oil, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. And so that's the reference. And so now in Revelation you read that what that pictures is two witnesses. Verse 4 again in Revelation 11. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven that it rained not in the days of their prophecy and have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. Similar kind of thing is happening with the trumpet plagues during that time with the waters being smitten and some of the things that go along with that. The two witnesses will be killed by the beasts that have sent out of the bottomless pit. Their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days. So let's read these verses starting in verse 7, Revelation 12.7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, that Greek word for testimony is maturia. It's translated one of three ways, witness, record, and testimony. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and kill them. Who kills the two witnesses? The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit.

And their dead bodies shall be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. That's a condition spiritually of Jerusalem at that time. Even though you have these two anointed sons of oil, the two witnesses, prophesying there. And I would assume that the so-called news networks of the world will cover that from time to time. And of course, these two will be viewed as the great enemies of humankind. Sodom and Egypt were also crucified. So it definitely identifies it as Jerusalem. And they of the people in kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, shall not permit their dead bodies to be put in graves. They want to have a festival over it, sort of like when they jerked down the statue of Sodom and Hussein in Baghdad, and they all paraded and so on around it. And all the news networks covered it. They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry and shall send gifts to another because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. Oh, it's torment. Please repent. Oh no, we're not going to repent. Okay, you're not going to get any rain.

And after three and a half days, the spirit of life, or it says the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying, "'They have come up here and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them.'" Now this next verse is a verse that you almost never hear discussed. In fact, I've only heard myself mention it in services, which some became all upset with. I don't know exactly why. It's what the Bible says. Verse 13, "'In the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell.' This is Jerusalem. And in their earthquake were slain of men seven thousand, and the remnant, the remnant, were of Friday and gave glory to the God of heaven." The remnant.

Who are these people? Obviously, they are those who worship God. They gave glory to the God of heaven. And the second woe is past.

The situation in Israel at the moment is very intense, as the Israelis and Palestinians are clashing over the death of four teenagers. Three young Jewish teenagers were kidnapped, and their bodies were found. They had been killed. Then, a few days after that, found in the woods, was a Palestinian teenager who had been killed, apparently by Jews. And the cry goes out once again for renewing the peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And they're clashing off and on the past few days. But it is doubtful that any kind of meaningful peace can be reached between two parties that hate each other. Now, there's what's called the quartet consisting of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and Russia, who are supposedly involved in trying to negotiate a peace settlement between the two parties. It appears that the only kind of peace plan that can be reached is one that is enforced by the international community. Can they please each other? Well, the Jews have tried. They have built a wall trying to keep the Palestinians out. Of course, the Palestinians, a lot of Palestinians, are already inside that area. So the question at the moment is, how critical does a situation have to become before the international community, led by the U.S. and NATO, steps in and says, enough is enough. Will it be ISIS beating on the door of Jordan and trying to move into Jerusalem to set up the caliphate? You'll note in the news items that Vladimir Putin makes overtures toward President Obama. One of the things that's overlooked by us, oftentimes in the Scripture, is there we've read it dozens of times. Go to Revelation 13.

Verse 4, Satan eventually gets his wish, his great goal, fulfill for a season, a very short season. They worship the dragon, the devil, which gave power unto the beast. The beast is possessed of the devil. And they worship the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? There was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemings, and power was given unto him to continue three and a half years. And he opened his mouth and blasphemed against God to blaspheme his image and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them, and power was given over him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. Now that's what the Bible says. Now, of course, there are other aspects of this, of some people, as we shall read later, are protected. But you notice that once again, all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of the life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. That will mean millions, jay, even billions, how many people will truly be converted? And we can all ask ourselves, will I be among those that are converted? Let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Paul adds something to here. You don't generally think of the epistles of Paul being prophetic, but there are quite a number of prophecies, especially the Thessalonians. First Thessalonians, Paul seemingly definitely gives the impression that the return of Christ is very near. In second Thessalonians, he gives a different impression and says certain things have to happen before that takes place. But we're noting here 1 Thessalonians 5.1, But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that are right unto you. Do we have need that we teach the people of God today? I think we do. See, the people of the church and everybody else are searching the internet. They know that these are not normal times. They need to be grounded. They need to be founded. They need to have some anchor scriptures to hold on to, lest they be deceived. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that are right unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. That means it's unexpected. It seems it's not as obvious that you might think in one way for when they shall see it say peace and safety. Oh yeah, we have reached all our peace accords and everything is set. And sort of like they were saying after World War I, the war to end all wars, peace at last, the League of Nations after World War II, United Nations, then sudden destruction comes upon them as to veil upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. But the great conflict will eventually be between the nations of the West and the nations of the North and East, even though it says in Revelation 13 verses 7 and 8, it says, all the nations of the world worship peace. Everybody whose name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Let's go to Daniel chapter 11.

Now see, here's some of the irony that is involved in having to do with nations, I call it, playing both ends against the middle, because on the one hand, the nations of the world have already been, to a large degree, welded together economically. They talk about the global community, the global economy. The parts that go into your automobiles, some were made in Europe, some were made in the far east. Some of the automobiles are assembled in Mexico, some in Canada, some in the US, and parts are made all over the world. There's hardly any place that you say, well, the parts of my car all came from this country. In Daniel chapter 11, beginning in verse 40-41, somewhere along in there, verse 41, he the willful king of verse 36, he shall enter into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown. What is the glorious land? Holy land, we call it, place where Jerusalem is. And these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon, thought to be modern-day Jordan. He shall stretch forth his hand upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But the tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him. Therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas, in the glorious holy mountain, yet shall he come to his inn, and none shall help him. So he sets up his headquarters where? In the glorious holy mountain. The old song, Buttons and Bows, to a large degree sums up the world at this critical, crucial juncture in human history. East is east, west is west, and the wrong one I have chose.

You know, basically from the Middle East, with the Middle East extending as far as modern-day Iraq and Iran, perhaps, from there east all the way to the Pacific Ocean, basically the gospel has not taken hold.

Buddhism, Sintoism, Confucianism, all kind of isms that you can name Hinduism, it goes on and on with the various isms that are godless. They do not recognize the god of the Bible, the only true god. It's basically been the Western world that has had the gospel preach to it. That's not to say that there are not some Christians in various places. For sure, there are some who say they're Christians. Now, we have a little group of people that meet in Hong Kong. One time I did a Bible study in Hong Kong.

So there's this song, east is east, west is west, the wrong one I have chose, then there's a verse that goes like this, I love you in buckskin or skirts that I've homespun, but I love you longer, stronger, or your friends don't tote a gun. The girl in this song wants to move back east where the guys don't pack a pistol.

And the news this past week has talked about even in the states where it is legal to have a weapon, Starbucks, Target, some of the stores have said you cannot have a gun here. There'll probably be tried in the courts. So when we look at the world today and speak in terms of east and west, we do see a great divide among the nations. To a large degree, it is religious. That's one of the reasons why the beast is going to enforce a worldwide religious system.

You'll be forced to worship the beast. The key word will be worship. Just as when Daniel created this huge statue and everybody wouldn't bow down and worship it, they would be thrown in the fiery furnace. And that's where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found themselves. The key word will be if you don't worship the beast, then you get it. More and more the world is being divided between east and west, with the Middle East being coveted by the nations of the world, both east and west. There is no nation on earth today that doesn't pack a pistol. Look east or west and you will find that the nations of the world, large and small, have secured the weapons, all the weapons that they can possibly buy, beg, borrow, steal.

Of course, there's great warfare being fought in cyber warfare and trying to steal the secrets of the nations. China has stolen quite a lot from us. The girl in the song, buttons and bows, could not move east or west in today's world. East or west is loaded for a bear. The prophet Joel spoke of these days. Let's turn to Joel chapter 3. Joel chapter 3.

Joel chapter 3. The theme of Joel is the day of the Lord, Hosea Joel.

Joel chapter 3.

Verse 9, proclaim you among the nations, prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up, beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears, let the weak say, I am strong. And so you have tiny little nations today who are threatening the superpowers with nuclear warheads. Pakistan has a bomb. Of course, Israel has several bombs. It may be the second, third largest nuclear power on earth.

But the irony of this is that even though there is this great divide among the nations, they are currently part of what's called the global community and the global economic system. So what does that mean? It means that they are interdependent. As I've already talked about the parts of an automobile, how they're made in different countries, assembled in another country, and so on. They depend on each other for survival. It is a parasitic kind of situation where they feed off the the host in which they feed off one another. There are only a very few nations today, if any, that can isolate themselves and be self-sufficient. Now what I'm about to tell you should sober you and wake you up. It has to do with Rick Perry's speech that he gave that we need to send these children back to where they came from. Even if a nation were to commit to a policy in which they would isolate themselves and say, okay, we're self-sufficient, the United States to a certain degree could do that. We have the oceans, the rivers, the streams, we have the farmland, we have the technical know-how. And on and on it goes. If everybody else would be nice, you could do that. And even if a nation were to commit to that policy, they would be subject to attack from their enemies who want what they have. The current warfare that is being waged against the U.S. is one of the most deceitful in human history. Invade the U.S. with helpless children and mothers. Fifty-something thousand have poured in the U.S. in the last several months. Invade with helpless mothers and children. They won't shoot them. All the bleeding hearts will get out. We've got to help them. We've got to stop this senseless dying of these people in the desert and other places. We've got to take care of them.

Never forget that when all is said and done, there are wicked spirits in high places. So you invade the self-sufficient nation with helpless women and children. What are you going to do? You going to shoot them? No, you're not. Will they be sent back? Well, some will be, but I doubt even a fourth of them will be. You see, we must not forget that. We must not forget that. When all is said and done, there are wicked spirits in high places. Satan is on an insatiable quest to be worshipped, to thwart God's great plan of salvation. The nations of the world are linked together in the global economic system. The pigs that an acronym for Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Greece can bear witness to the reality. The European Union has poured millions, even billions, into those four nations, trying to keep them afloat in the global economic system. And even though Russia and China are currently dependent upon trade with the U.S. and the EU, they're busily trying to create a Euro-Asian trade zone and dump the dollar. In the interim, we have wars and rumors of war. So how far do the current deteriorating conditions have to go before Jerusalem is divided? Will it be divided before or after a great war? The world has been held at bay to a large degree by what is known as the doctrine of mutually assured destruction. The doctrine of mutually assured destruction goes all the way back to after the time that the U.S. dropped the first two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The U.S. will be so terrible that you would not dare use a nuclear bomb on me because you're going to get the same.

Now, with this doctrine, it's called MAD. M-A-D. Mutually Assured Destruction. How far will this doctrine go? How long can it hold out? War is raging at the moment in Iraq, in Syria, in Ukraine, and there are other hot spots in which terrorist organizations are killing their own people. The first part of the Great Tribulation will be the time of Satan's wrath. Let's go to Revelation 12. Revelation 12. Revelation 12, verse 7, And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.

The first part of Daniel 12, we were there earlier, it says, At the time of the end, Michael, the prince of the people, shall stand up. There was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought in his angels. So the good angels versus the demons, And prevailed not, that is, Satan and the demons. Neither was their place found any more in heaven. The great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world he was cast out into the earth, and his demons were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying, In heaven now is come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night. You remember the account in Job chapter 1, where the sons of God came together one day around God's throne, began to converse, and Satan came among them and said, And God asked the question, Have you considered my servant Job? And Satan said, Oh, well, you know, you put a hedgerow around him. Let me at him. He will curse you to his face. And so God let Satan have a run at Job. And of course, Satan is the slanderer of the brethren. And those who slandered the brethren, of course, are doing the work of the devil. Verse 11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them, wote in the inhabitants of the earth and the sea. For the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows he has but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast into the earth, he persecuted the woman, which gave birth to the man-child. And so Israel will be a great target of the wrath, and so will the church of God. Because unto the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for three and a half years, from the face of the serpent. Does the Bible teach place of safety? Yes, it does. Exactly where it is, it doesn't say for sure. We have read Revelation 11 and verse 13. It says in the remnant world Friday that there are some there, the two witnesses prophesy from Jerusalem. That's what the Bible says. I'm not saying that's the place of safety per se. I'm saying what it says. And the serpent cast out of his mouth waters of flood, army after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood, and the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. Now here's the... it shows you that he is after converted people. And the dragon was mad with a woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, notice the word remnant, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

So the first part of the tribulation will be the time of Satan's wrath. Demon activity will greatly increase. We're currently seeing a great increase in demon activity, even talk about space aliens invading the earth, renewed interest in paranormal activity, so-called supernatural. Of course, it is beyond the natural laws. Jesus states in Matthew 24, 24, that the deception will be so great that if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. And we can all ask ourselves, are we among the very elect? Notice Revelation chapter 9. Even during the day of the Lord, when the trumpet plagues are being poured out, there is no evidence of anyone repenting after the trumpet plays begin to be poured out. And notice who they are worshiping. Revelation chapter 9.

Verse 20, "...and the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils and idols of gold and silver, and brass and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, farmakia, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." No record of anyone repenting after God begins to pour out the trumpet plagues during the day of the Lord. No earthly power will defeat Satan. The demons and humans that are led by Satan will have to be defeated by God. By God and Christ, the holy angels. And, of course, we're coming back with him when we're caught up in the air returning with Christ, as it says in Revelation 19. Satan will be rendered of non-effect when Christ returns. The question for us today is, whose side will we be on? We're warned to come out of Babylon, and one of the reasons is, so look at Revelation 18. One of the reasons why we're warned to come out of Babylon is Revelation 18. And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power. The earth was frightened and was lighted with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon, the great has fallen, has fallen, become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a large cage of every unclean, hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of the fornication and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth were wax rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 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 should receive not of her plagues. Some people who are in the faith will depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits. You'll notice this in 1 Timothy chapter 4. 1 Timothy chapter 4.

Rather than what we are involved in, and I think we do have an identity crisis, I think we have an identity crisis even with adults and especially with the youth with regard to what we've signed on to. It is the battle of the ages. In 1 Timothy 4. 1, the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. The Spirit speaks, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

And I hope, of course, the searing of the conscience is a fearful thing to contemplate in which you begin to drift away, drift away, you begin to violate the Sabbath, you begin to do this and that and the other, and finally you just merge back. The sowl wallowing in the mire would have been better that they had never been enlightened than to turn back. If any soul turned back, God says, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Brother, we are not going to turn back. The message for us is to not let yourself become confused regarding end-time events. We have noted from Scripture today several anchor points to serve as guideposts along the way. We must not let ourselves become distracted by all the things that are going on and throw up our hands and say, what's the use? I quit. We're not going to quit. Apathy will be one of our greatest enemies in the days that lie ahead. The cure for apathy is to do. To get busy. Do what? Fill your lamps with oil, with the Holy Spirit. Set yourself on fire with zeal to follow in Christ's steps. If we're focused on God and Christ, if we're focused on the Word of God, if we're focused on doing what God exhorts us to do, we will not become apathetic. Our lamps will be filled with oil, and we will know and know that we know that what God has promised he can perform. He will do. Blessed is that servant whom, when my Lord returns, shall find, so do it.

At that time, there's a critical time. I believe we are in that critical time right now. Look at Matthew 24. We have been in this critical time for some time now in the church. In Matthew 24, beginning in verse 44, Therefore be you also ready, for in such a time or hour as you think not, the Son of Man comes. We read from 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul says, thief in the night, Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat and dew season? I am giving you meat and dew season today. The meat is the word of God. Blessed is he that that servant whom his Lord, when he comes, shall find, so do he. Verily I say unto you that he shall make him ruler over all his goods, but and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord, the latest is coming. So many have departed from church attendance, from fellowship, and on and on it goes. They may not say orally out loud, my Lord, the latest is coming, but their actions say that's what's in their hearts. And shall begin to smite his fellow servants. There are all kinds of websites out there in which the fellow servants in the Church of God for the past several decades are smitten one up one side and down the other.

To eat and drink with a drunken, the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him in an hour that he's not aware of, and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then, shouldn't be a chapter break. Why would they put a chapter break? Then, when? Then, when that's going on, and surely that's been going on for some time. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like an unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And you know the story. They all slumbered and slept, the knock on the door. They took their lamps. Some were wise, fifty percent, some were foolish. The foolish said, give us of your oil. The wise says, no, you got to go get it for yourself. They took off. They came back, but it was too late.

But the good news is, and I guess you might say good news, bad news, you look at Luke chapter 21. Luke chapter 21. I think one of the tests with regard to those who are protected might have to do with this right now that we're about to read. In the days that lie ahead, when this really comes to a head, it will appear that your life will be in jeopardy 24-7.

Here's Luke's account of the Olivet prophecy.

And they asked him, saying, Master, when shall these things be, and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ. And the time draws near, go ye not therefore after them. And when they shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified. For these things must first come to pass. These things must first come to pass. These things must first come to pass.

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ. And the time draws near, go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified. For these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. Great earthquakes shall be in different places. Famines, pestilence, fearful sights, great signs shall there be from heaven. But, and here's this word before, in the Greek it's pro, p-r-o, it can mean before or it can mean above. I tend to believe it means above. In other words, as far as we are concerned, above all things that ye will be tried in the future with, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony, a witness, a record. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before you shall answer. For I will give you a mouth in wisdom which all your adversaries should not be able to gain, say, nor resist. You shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinsfolk and friends. And some of you they shall cause be put to death. And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not in hair of your head perish. And of course, that's not a contradiction between 17 because even if you are killed, you are as good as alive in resurrection. And your patience possess you, your souls, your life essence. And so, that is above all things for us. Christ says, Be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. I read Revelation 12, 10, which says, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the dead.

So if we are faithful and true to the Word of God, no matter where we are and what the situation or circumstance, God has promised to deliver us. It may be now, physically, or it may be in resurrection. Christ says, Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. So, brethren, let's cleave to the vine.