Edition 330: September 21^st  2016

Watch and Pray: the Lord is coming:

Watch and pray: The Lord is coming:

Introduction:

The Bible commands us to “watch and pray” (Luke 21:36) in relation to the end-time events and His soon-coming. In the original texts the term is in the imperative. In other words, it is a command and not a suggestion!

Beware; the spirits of deception and wickedness are intensifying greatly right now. They are being released like a flood. Many will be swept away by these powerful lying spirits and forces, including many within the church who are blind to spirits and not equipped to deal with them.

In this edition, I would like to deal with what we are to watch for and pray for, specifically in the light of our Lord’s soon coming and the increase in spiritual wickedness.

These things just may have eternal consequences for you!

I’ll also share with you some startling revelations on the pre-tribulation rapture, and general end-time events and issues.

Daniel 11:32 “Those who do wickedly against the covenant, he will corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.”

The “covenant” referred to here is the eternal covenant with Israel. Those within the church particularly, like the replacement theology crowd, will be “corrupted” with “flattery, These words mean: “To be defiled, polluted and greatly corrupted.” The word “flattery” means to be taken by “smooth promises.”

This verse above relates to the end-times. It’s one of those verses laying out the danger of these days and the alternative power in those who “know their God.”

The order of the last pieces of the puzzle:

The short nutshell version is this: The church age or dispensation is very shortly going to come to an end with the rapture. A dispensation can only begin and end as they have done in the past, which is in an instant.

The next dispensation is the seventieth week of Daniel, or the seven - year tribulation period, which is distinctly for the Jews and not the church.

You cannot have an inter-dispensation time as some believe. So, the tribulation must and will start immediately after the rapture.

The rapture, which is correctly interpreted as the “departure” of the church, occurs first, as the restrainer (church indwelt by the Holy Spirit) is removed by rapture and the man of sin is revealed. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-7)

Daniel 9:27 reveals that this man, the antichrist, shall confirm a covenant with many for the seven year tribulation period. This covenant is some sort of peace treaty with Israel and a group of nations (the many). It may involve a rebuilt temple as referred to in the next few verses.

By the way, some say that previous unfinished or unsigned peace treaties with Israel (like the Oslo Accord) will be the one, just resurrected.  That is rubbish, because all previous treaties are null and void and will have to be totally re-negotiated, as the situations in Israel have changed since then.

We are not told exactly what this peace covenant will entail, so it’s best not to be dogmatic. But some major event will take place, identifying the antichrist.

But the antichrist can’t be revealed until the aforementioned departure or rapture. So, logically, we have to include this covenant signing as one of the major signs. My point is that whatever the nuts and bolts of the covenant will be, these big international events don’t just appear out of the blue, we will see it coming or at least the preparations for it.

This antichrist will arrive on the stage making peace.

Daniel 11:21 “In his place shall arrive a vile person...he shall come in peaceably and will seize the kingdom by intrigue.” (And other verses).

The world can’t live in peace because Satan is the god of this world. The world will swallow the false peace of the antichrist. The world will live in peace when the true, living God is fully, the God of this world and the world and its present god, is destroyed.

By the way, the antichrist will not be a Muslim, Christian or Jew. He will be a true interfaither, backed by his prophet until the day he declares himself as God.

These events leading up to the tribulation must occur in very quick succession, and not days, weeks or months apart.

A powerful observation relating to 2017:

If the time of the rapture / tribulation start is 2016, that would place the Second Advent seven years later in 2023. If it’s 2017, then the Second Advent is in 2024.

The 360-day Hebrew year and calendar is what most people use for calculating anything biblically prophetic. But there is a flaw in this calendar. It’s quite an amazing flaw! If the calendar just went on and on with 360 days per year, it would get to a time when the fall feasts would be in the spring and vice versa.

Because of this non-alignment with the moon, over time, an extra “intercalary” (calendar insertion) month of 30 days is added to the calendar seven times in every nineteen years. This means that some years are not 360 days in length.

Now, pay attention!

The two halves of the seven-year tribulation period, mentioned in days in Daniel, should be 1260 x2 = 2520. But In Daniel 12:11 he says that the second half of the tribulation period is 1290 days and not 1260 days. That’s an extra 30 days or month for the second half of the tribulation.

So, according to Daniel, the tribulation period is: First half = 1260 days. Second half = 1290 days. Total = 2550 days.

Here’s the amazing thing: We need to look for the tribulation to end in one of these years with an added intercalary month.

The year 2024 is such a year! It is an intercalary year with 30 days extra. I can see some people’s minds going into overdrive! Other combinations of years don’t work or fit, until we get too far out into the future for them to be candidates at all.

The timeline, 2017 to 2024 for the tribulation fits perfectly, with the tribulation beginning and ending on a fall feast day. There are numerous other signs that dovetail into this timeline as well. I think all the other signs which are missing at this point in time, will appear and fit, as required by the time we get there.

It is vitally important to understand that there are 1260 days for the first half of the tribulation and 1290 for the second half.

2017 to 2024 is the only time period where the 2550-day tribulation begins and ends on a fall feast!

Here are some of the verses referring to these numbers for those who want to study this subject:

Daniel 12:11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1290 days.”

Revelation 11:3 “I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophecy 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 12:6 “Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there for 1260 days.”

Revelation 13:5 “He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and he was given authority to continue for 42 months.” 42 months is three and a half years of 360 days each, or 1260 days in total.

Just a little observation:

The Feasts of the Lord have many hidden messages within them. Leviticus 23 is the chapter that lists them in their order. The first four feats find their fulfilment in the first advent of our Lord, and the last three feasts will be fulfilled in the events of the tribulation period and the Second Advent.  The feasts are:

●Passover, ●Unleavened Bread, ●First Fruits, ●Pentecost, ●Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), ●Atonement (Yom Kippur) ●Tabernacles (Sukkot)

It’s an interesting observation that the church has had little interest in the final three feasts that find their fulfilment in the tribulation period. Is that perhaps because the church will not be here then? – Just a thought.

I’ll shortly be doing an edition on some amazing facts about the final Feast of Tabernacles almost unknown to the church.

The great Revelation 12 sign in the heavens:

I’m not going to get into this now in any depth, as others have done excellent expositions on it. To really understand and see the importance of this “great sign” you need to see it visually.

I so love it when the watchmen see eye to eye. Again there is great safety when there is a strong unity in the message. The eschatology teachers may not get it all right all the time, but with a few adjustments as we go and when required, their message is indispensable.

1 Chronicles 26:16 (Temple Gatekeepers) “...At the West Gate, on the ascending highway you shall have watchmen opposite watchmen.”

Psalm 119:148 “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate (know) on Your word.”

At the moment there is a bit of a discrepancy amongst some end time teachers relating to the great sign of Revelation 12. Some believe as I do, that this astronomic sign becomes relevant in October 2017 on the Feast or Trumpets, which would be the time of the rapture.

Others believe that Jupiter entering the womb of the sign, which occurs now in 2016, is the “conception” and the time of the rapture.

It can’t be on both dates, but both have compelling evidence if you do the research.

As usual, many get bent out of shape tying to prove their own point. Let me throw in my point of view. Both of these discoveries and views come from informed, well studied, reliable sources. Neither view is to be rejected outright, although both can’t be right.

Well, the difference is about a year, and that’s no big deal! That’s my point! The glorious message, and scary message for the unsaved, is that there is next to no time left!

There are many out there, especially on YouTube, who are putting out all sorts of dates. I would place them in the category of deceived crackpots, all to be rejected.

Those who say, “The Lord has told me” and “it’s 100% for sure” are the ones to reject out of hand and never received from again. Others who use methods of linguistic manipulation are also to be rejected, no matter what they have to say.

Always remember that manipulation is just a step to produce control. That is Satan’s method of operation.

Interesting dates and patterns:

I’ve mentioned these dates before and their significance, but not the repeating pattern as seen below.

●1897 saw the first Zionist Congress in which the foundation for a Jewish State began.

●1917 was the year of the Balfour Declaration, which took the State a legal step forward. 

●1947 saw the UN pass the Resolution allowing the creation of the Jewish State, which occurred a year later in 1948.

●1967 saw Jerusalem restored to the Jews in the Six Day war.

●1997 is the odd man out with no notable events, except a move by the Arab League to freeze all ties and cooperation with Israel.

The numbers 20 and 30 are repeating patterns in these dates above: 1897+20= 1917 +30=1947 +20=1967 +30=1997 +20=2017.

On top of this, 2017 is 50 years from 1967 and 70 years from 1947. It is 100 years from 1917 and 120 years from 1897.

There’s much about the gematria of these numbers but there is also a simple meaning of numbers in the Bible, derived from the verses in which the numbers are found.

●20 is the number of “waiting.” ●30 is one of the numbers of perfection or divine order. ●50 is the number of jubilee and deliverance. ●70 is the number of restoration and also perfect spiritual order. ●100 is the number of election and promise. ●120 is the number of divine probation coming to an end.

All of these numbers and meanings above paint an incredible picture don’t they?

The long summer:

The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) occurs after the “long summer.” The seven feasts are grouped into the first four or Spring Feasts, which were fulfilled in the events of the First Advent. The final three are the Fall Feasts, dealing with the tribulation period and the Second Advent.

The first four occur in quick succession and the final three also in quick succession, but they are separated by what is referred to as the “long summer”, the period between them.

This “long summer” is also a parallel with the “gap” between Daniels sixty ninth and seventieth week. The “long summer” or gap is the church age or dispensation.

163 is the number of days following Passover used to calculate the date of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Many people, especially of the post-tribulation rapture view, reject dispensations. It’s interesting that right here in the feasts, the church age or dispensation is strongly implied. What is also strongly implied is that the church age, which began at Pentecost, ends at Rosh Hashanah!

Flaws in the doctrine of imminence:

We are commanded to “watch and pray”. But watch for what? It is the time and season of the Lord’s coming. It is also all end-time events as this knowledge is progressively poured out, as revealed in Daniel.

God has always warned and given the time of His judgements. He is consistent and does things “decently and in order.”

 Imminence is derived from one verse – “No one knows the day or hour.”  (Matthew 24:36)

But have a look at how the Amplified Bible, brings out that verses:

Matthew 24:36 (Amp) “Of that exact day and hour no one knows...”

The proper interpretation of that verse is that it actually points to the Feast of Trumpets, which is also called “The feast of which no one knows the day and hour.” This is because the feast begins on the sighting of the new moon, which could occur on either of two days, which is why it’s a two day feast.

Anyway, that aside, if we take the words “No one knows the day and hour” literally, it still does not say, “no one knows the week, month, or year!” If you understand English, it is an exact point in time.

Some say that “imminence” is needed so people can be always be ready and watchful. I believe the exact opposite. If we can (and must) know the time and season, for me that’s an extremely powerful motivating force to live holy and right and watchful.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this grievous task God has given to the sons of man by which they must be exercised.”

Signs to watch for:

Some of the major signs that need to be in place or at least beginning to become evident around the time of the rapture are:

●We should see at least the preparations for the start of the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount. The temple is required at the half way mark though the tribulation.

●We must see at least the beginning of the formation of the 10-nation European Confederacy with two legs as per Daniels vision of the statue/ image. The two legs need to be a group of Western nations and the other a group of Eastern, Islamic nations. This is where the antichrist arises from.

 ●We must see the stage set for the signing of a covenant between Israel and “the many” involving the Arab world and Palestinians. This is the event that starts the tribulation period and closes the church age.

●We will see Israel being drawn into some of the Middle Eastern conflicts like Syria. We must see at least the beginnings of WW111 involving the nations of Ezekiel 38 &39, which include Israel as a major player.

●We must see the Second Exodus go into high gear and speed up, as Jews flee the nations of their dispersion. That is most certainly on the go, but nowhere near being fulfilled yet.

Watch your own heart and soul.

Personal, deep repentance is required.

Job 17:9 “The righteous will hold onto his ways, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.”

Proverbs 3:32-35 “His secret counsel is with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the house of the just. Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.”

Unless your own personal gospel, that which you apply to yourself, is radical and severe, and includes the “hard sayings” of the Bible, you won’t endure. The pressures of the world today are intensifying and the church is getting weaker, except for a few.

Today the church is largely silent on sin. The reason is because it is silent on the law. It has gone into the ditch on the other side of the law-road. Believing that we are not under the law is quite correct, but throwing the purpose for the law out, is quite incorrect.

The purpose of the law is to identify sin and point the way to the answer to the sin problem, which is our Messiah. You don’t throw out the law itself. If you remove the preaching of the law, you have removed the identification of sin and you become living sin!

This is a blasphemous slogan from a church which I recently saw:

“God has never been, nor ever will be the inspiration for a sermon on hell, sin or the devil.”

Yes of course God has removed the power of sin in Messiah, but there is a huge difference between the salvation of the soul and being spiritually born again.

1 Corinthians 3:9-10 “We are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building, according to the grace of God which He has given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each one take heed how he builds.”

1 Corinthians 3:12-17 “If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay straw, each ones work will become manifest, for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work of what sort it is. If anyone’s work endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet as through fire.”

2 Timothy 4:8 “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Finally

There is great safety in knowing God’s word, and the author, the Spirit of God, and in personal ongoing repentance and humility before God.

Is your life in sharp, strong contrast and resistance to the world? Are you born again of the Spirit of God?

1 John 5:4 “Everyone who is born of God overcomes the world.”

My friends, the world has a terrible future ahead of it, and it’s getting worse fast. We as believers have the most wonderful, glorious, majestic, eternal future ahead of us.

I took this picture from a chopper flying over Champagne Castle in the Drakensberg Mountains early in the morning. You can see three of our choppers stopped for tea on the centre ridge.

Shalom and grow in His Grace!