I changed the title of this article from Straight Talk to Deep Water because the study of the end times is deep indeed and I know why: It’s God’s Nature. Proverbs 25:2, It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.Thus, we have to study hard in order to attain the honor of a king. A tramp or vagrant doesn’t achieve such honor because he is lazy and unmotivated. This is why I am so motivated to teach this.
The N.T. often stresses His soon coming, but 2,000 years later we must question the understanding of that urgency. We need to understand that He comes for each of us as our life ends, then there is His Coming as this age ends. Therefore, Coming is seen both as a common and proper noun. Jesus can come for you or I anytime, but His Second Coming is a while off. Paul stressed this to the Thessalonians: Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition… 2 Thess. 2:3 There would not be so much said about the time of His Return if it were not something for us to anticipate. Yes, He will come as a thief in the night, but not for those who await His Return because we are not of darkness, but of Light.
But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 1 Thess. 5:4-6
I make this point so we can study in Truth. It’s important in order that we achieve that honor spoke of earlier. Jesus is coming but it won’t be for a while—at least 7 years. I say 7 years as a definite point, but it is greater than that. You see; the great falling away is called the Apostasy which means ‘to fall away’. The Bible speaks of two churches; the True Church and the Apostate Church. The True Church is comprised of those who are born-again and steeped in truth. The Apostate Church consists of those who love having their ears tickled with fantasy and rapture. When times become demanding, they just go with the flow because instead of the Solid Rock; it is shifting sand where they are planted. The Antichrist (son of sin, perdition) must rule and demonstrate his claim to be the Anointed One and he does that by miraculous behavior such as healing himself of a mortal wound. He requires submission of the world subjects and that is demonstrated by the receiving of The Mark of the Beast. Without this mark, citizens will be shunned and prevented from buying and selling. This will quickly bring about the Apostasy!
At that point, Christ is not due to come because the Beast must first have enough power to grant to Israel a covenant of peace for seven years. Seven years, 84 months, 2520 days later, Christ will come as Judge. You can count this as a mile-marker. Then, half way through that time, the Beast stands in the Holy Place and declares himself to be God and curses the God of Heaven. This is the second mile-marker and is 3 ½ years, 1260 days, 42 months before He Returns. The next mile-marker comes when the Two Witnesses are killed by the Antichrist, indicating that it will be 3 days before Christ comes. The final mile-marker comes when the Two Witnesses are raised to life—within that same hour He will come with the clouds.
It is pure worship when we seek His Word to understand the times to come, it is also vital to our Salvation. We must be of the True Church no matter where we worship. It is pure delusion to believe and teach that the Coming of Christ can happen any minute, though He could come for us individually at any time.
Subscribe!
