The Scourge Of Racism
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Following up last week’s post,1 as yet another display of grace before His wrath comes upon those that refuse to believe in God, He will present the reality of His existence to them through some mighty, unprecedented warning judgments. These unprecedented warning judgments will be so sudden, stunning and jarring that denying the existence of God thereafter will be impossible! Instead, the foretold events of God’s judgments plainly manifested as in the days when by great displays of His power He brought Israel out of Egypt,2 will reveal what is really at the core of guilty mankind’s unbelief in Him: hearts so hardened into sin they refuse to bow to and glorify God as God!
Indeed, it is not as if God’s current remedial judgments occurring all around us as foretold do not pack enough information to convince men of His reality. But even some professed Christians are refusing to acknowledge the obvious hand of God in the rising global heat and other weather events of climate upheaval (Jeremiah 23:16-22), “famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places” because they want the world to remain unchanged for their profit. As mothers know, however, when the birth pains of pregnancy suddenly begin there is great change. Birth pains are underway in the earth because the Kingdom of God is about to be born into it (Matthew 24:3-8, NKJV)!
An unchanged fallen world may be the desire of sinful men, but not the Holy God who created the universe in accord with His purposes and plans for man now, being fulfilled through His Son, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 45:12; Colossians 1:13-18; Hebrews 2:5-10)! For this cause, the Kingdom of God must come to earth so all He has promised as an inheritance to His Son is realized (Psalm 2:7-8). Therefore, God in grace and longsuffering has sent only remedial judgments while having the Gospel of His Son preached throughout the earth to this hour that though they have been severe in many cases over the past 2,500 years, men have been able to recover with relative few exceptions.3
In the destructive aftermath of the coming unprecedented warning judgments as a precursor to His full-on wrath initiating “the day of the Lord,” only He is able to bring forth restoration (Isaiah 13:6-16, 35:1-10, NKJV)! At Christ’s opening of the “seventh seal” and Almighty God’s entire prophetic scroll, “seven trumpets” announce the judgments of grave warning as signs expressly from Him and motivated in part by the prayers of His saints that begin suddenly from the sky (Joel 2:30; Luke 21:11; Revelation 5:1-10, 8:1-6, NKJV). The first trumpet is “hail and fire…mingled with blood…thrown down to the earth” resulting in “a third of the trees” being “burned up…and all the green grass,” (Revelation 8:7, NKJV).4 The judgment is similar to one God has previously done (Exodus 9:13-35)!
This storm has literal blood mixed with hail and fire pouring down on the targeted undisclosed region of the earth. It comes upon a world indifferent to the shedding even of righteous blood (Revelation 6:1-4, 9-11). Note that only a third of the trees are burned up--apparently God the Creator knows enough about the earth He created not to burn down all of them since they contribute to the air we breathe! Thirds are a theme in the warning judgments and indicative of their ends to display God’s reality, invite repentance and preview some of what is coming in His full-on wrath. Only an omniscient, omnipotent God as He is could selectively burn up just a third of the trees but all of the green grass (Isaiah 40:25-26)! Surely, this is enough information to believe God exists isn’t it?
1 Read the October 2, 2022 post, Unbelief In God Has Consequences, under the category, Instruction.
2 See the September 29, 2019 post, God Almighty In A 21st Century World, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
3 Among the most notable exceptions is ancient Babylon God declared would never rise again as has been the case (Isaiah 13:17-22; Jeremiah 25:12-29, 50-51).
4 Other contemporary word for word translations of the Bible such as the ESV, NASB and NET include “a third of the earth was burned up” in this passage as the center column notes in my NKJV also indicate. Learn more about word for word Bible translations in our Fruitful Bible Study Self-Paced Video Course on the Strong Man Virtual Institute YouTube Channel.
As foretold by the Lord, tribulation and martyrdom for the faith have followed faithful Christians during this nearly 2,000 year period since the first century. Today, because the Gospel has spread to nearly every nation on earth, persecution fed tribulation and martyrdom are experienced by the Lord’s faithful in unprecedented numbers to grow much worse leading up to and during God’s seventieth week.9 Before those final seven years, though, the saints with everyone else will also be dealing with God’s escalating warning judgments to include ‘“great earthquakes…,’” ‘“famines and pestilences…;’” the Lord adding in Luke, ‘“fearful sights and great signs from heaven,’” (Luke 21:11, NKJV).
Just as we have had to cope in His provision and strength with persecution, wars, lawlessness, various calamities, famines and pestilences, still to come are what the Lord describes as “fearful sights and great signs from heaven” that will work destruction on earth, affect the cosmos, our solar system and time as we know it along with bring great pain and death to some of mankind. Among the Almighty God’s purposes in these coming, more severe judgments as those now, is to cause willing souls to recognize His reality and power, repent and believe the Gospel to be saved; the preaching of which has been a major reason for His long delay in bringing the end (2 Peter 3:1-9)!10
The shockingly terrifying events as signs and severe judgments from God prior to His final seven years also warn of His approaching full-on wrath.11 The sixth seal previews what God will do to protect His foretold preserved “remnant of Israel” He calls “My elect” that they might endure through His judgments as “trumpets” of warning which actually begin when Christ opens the seventh seal of the scroll fully unfurled thereafter (Isaiah 10:20-23, 65:8-10; Joel 2:30-32; Revelation 7:1-8, 8:1-9:21, NKJV). These plagues with all to follow that intensify in severity have a precedent in what God did to bring Israel out of Egyptian bondage--something the world will quickly catch onto.
For to appease Him, the world will allow Israel to rebuild their Temple! The rebuilding of the Jewish Temple during the period of or shortly after the severe judgments of Revelation 8-9 is inferred by the fact the structure is already standing when God’s final seven years are formally launched at the beginning of Revelation 11! Besides more warning judgments from God at the hands of His “two witnesses” during the first three and one half years of the seven, if not already, “the falling away” of professed Christians may take place here (2 Thessalonians 2:3a; Revelation 11:1-14, NKJV). Could this mass event be in part due to the realization the secret rapture has not occurred to this juncture?
Because His faithful already bear the living mark of the Holy Spirit, they will not be touched by the creatures God sends to hurt, but not kill those without Him in the fifth trumpet judgment (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Revelation 9:1-12). Otherwise, Christians will be at least indirectly if not directly impacted by God’s severe judgments then, as we are right now! Christ plainly taught following Him entails tribulation and death by whatever means, but that we would overcome them in Him (Luke 9:18-26; John 11:21-27, 16:1-4, 33)!12 Therefore, equipped with the Holy Spirit, Christians that will be faithful are fully prepared to endure tribulation from all sources to God’s appointed end.13
This is why instead of protection like the mortal Jewish elect, the sixth seal previews Christians in glory after coming “out of the great tribulation,” (Revelation 7:9-17, NKJV)!14 The “great tribulation” in Christ’s chronology occupies the last half of God’s final seven years. It is the apex of what will be worldwide suffering from all sources, but especially the activity of the Antichrist. Indeed, so severe are the trials of the great tribulation at the ascendency to world rule by the Antichrist with the aid of Satan in “great wrath,” the Lord warns about those days from the prophet Daniel and adds His prophecy to it. Later, from Him, two of His apostles also give warning (Daniel 8:23-25, 9:27, 11:31-45; Matthew 24:15-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1 John 2:18; Revelation 12:7-13:18, NKJV).15
With the aid of demonic works, the Lord warns ‘“false christs and false prophets’” will arise to assert He has come secretly ‘“in the desert’” or ‘“inner rooms.’” ‘“Do not believe it,’” He also warns. Faithful Bible students will not! Then, He plainly instructs His only Second Coming will be globally seen (Matthew 24:23-28, NKJV)! Too, He plainly says this occurs ‘“Immediately after the tribulation of those days.’” Following foretold cosmic signs He comes ‘“with power and great glory;’” sending ‘“His angels…’” to ‘“gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other’” after which the full-on “day of the Lord” wrath is “poured out" (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Revelation 11:15-19, 16:12-21, 19:11-21, NKJV).16
While I have already cited two major reasons many American evangelicals in the main may cling to the falsehood Christ is going to secretly come to remove Christians from tribulation even before God’s final seven years contrary to Scripture objectively interpreted, two others that come to mind are pride and fear. The pride is of the same kind that will not let many repent from obvious sin!17 Fear of pain and suffering is normal; giving into it to the point of inventing ungodly means of escape is not, nor does this follow the example of our Lord (Luke 22:39-46; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Peter 2:18-25, 4:1-6, 12-19). The evil outcome of pushing this made to order end is overthrowing “the faith of some” who cannot reconcile it with what they see or God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:16-18, NKJV)!18
9 Visit https://www.opendoorsusa.org/ a Ministry to persecuted Christians this Ministry supports.
10 See the February 6, 2022 post, The Divine Delay, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
11 Scripture teaches the full-on wrath of God is cataclysmic destruction whether widespread as in Noah’s flood or localized as it was with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 7:17-24, 19:23-29). The foretold coming full-on wrath of God is part of His “Day of the Lord” launch and will violently shake both the universe and the earth; causing the earth to move from its current orbit along with upending and changing its topography (Isaiah 13:6-13, 24:17-20, 40:3-5, 42:14-15). It is from God’s full-on wrath Christians have been promised deliverance through Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, 5:2-10)!
12 Learn more about following Christ into suffering as He teaches in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
13 Consequently, as the Lord has led, I have been calling believers in need to repentance and revival! Read the May 22, 2022 post, Made To Order Spirit?, under the category, Instruction.
14 Clearly, this passage shows the close of the great tribulation includes partial displays of God’s wrath directed specifically upon those with the Antichrist’s mark still re- fusing to repent, the water resources they in the majority rely on and the sun to burn them with the heat of global warming at its peak without killing off all air breathing life indirectly affected due to the shortened days involved (Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 16:1-11).
15 Read the two-part post that begins February 13, 2022, War Of The Ages End, under the category, Bible Prophecy. Please note in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, the apostle Paul opens up referencing “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him” (the rapture) as tied to the “day of Christ” which is also the Day of the Lord. He further instructs “that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed…,” (Emphasis Mine, NKJV).
16 All mortals on earth will see the Second Coming of Christ including faithful remnant Christians who immediately thereafter, are made immortal and join those resur- rected gathered to Christ in the sky (1 Corinthians 15:50-57). See the August 15, 2021 post, The Honor Of Bypassing Death, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
17 See the September 26, 2021 post, I Have Sinned, I Repent, under the category, Call To Repent. Consider too, the joy and peace of Marvin Rosenthal when what he understood about the rapture’s timing at Christ’s Second Coming and just before the outpour of God’s full-on wrath fully lined up with what Scripture objectively inter- preted, taught!
18 Believers should have only the truth of God’s Word to inform their understanding, not the opinions of men! This means as this “made to order” series of posts has steadfastly urged, studying the Bible for oneself to learn the truth therein.
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