Tag: end-times

Will Believers Face the Final Anti-Christ? Insights from Scripture (Signs Pt 5)

Harpazo?

“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel spoke of . . .” Matthew 24:15

There is a great deal of thought, opinion, and theory, concerning what is widely known as the 70th week of Daniel. What most scholars agree on is that the main character referenced in it is the final Anti-Christ. Why final? Because the word says that there will be many anti-Christs throughout history, that even the “spirit of anti-Christ is present in the world already.” Where there is some differences in timing and whether the church will see these things is the debate. However, we are going to read the word and see what it says. It is important at this time to remind us that this discussion and teaching that Yahoshua is having with His disciples is a private lesson, He was speaking to them about them.

“So when YOU SEE, the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And woe to the pregnant women and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:15-22

The 70th week of Daniel is the final seven year period known by eschatologists as the tribulation period. It is believed to be broken up into two equal parts, three and half years on either side of this event spoke of— “the abomination of desolation.” When the final Anti-Christ, steps into the Holy of Holies and declares himself to be God. Something satan has been trying to do since at least the beginning of human history, recoded in Genesis. We need to recognize that prior to this final Anti-Christ the Church is warned that there will be many false Messiah’s and false prophets. Some will even perform great signs and wonders. We are to be prepared NOT to follow them but especially this final one. For he too will perform many wonderful signs and there will be a great delusion or deception, that will fool MANY.

The teaching of those who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture would have you believe that the Church will not be present at this time. They believe that they will be raptured or caught up (harpazo is the Greek term being translated), to meet Yahoshua in the clouds and become spectators from afar of the tragic events unfolding on earth. However, it is clear that Yahoshua wasn’t teaching this at all. Let’s take a little time exploring some clues to get some understanding. Here are a few clues. Yahoshua said, “So when YOU SEE . . .” Who was He teaching? His disciples, the pre-tribulation crowd will say they were Jews, my rebuttal is simple, were they not Messianic Jews? Are Messianic Jews not worthy of the rapture? That should be enough but there is more.

The pre-tribulation crowd also will say that babies and children will be raptured. This is depicted in the movie Left Behind. However, again Yahoshua teaching His disciples says, “and woe to the pregnant women and for those who are nursing infants.” If the rapture takes children why are there nursing infants? Again, will it only be Jewish infants that remain? There is still another clue here in Yahoshua’s teaching to look at. “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elects sake those days will be shortened.” Now who are the elect? The pre-tribulation crowd will say the elect is Israel, which they are not wrong but who are we? Gentiles, yes, but we are grafted into Israel. There is no longer, Jew or Greek . . .

Ephesians 1:5 says, “He predestined us for adoption through Yahoshua Messiah, according to the purpose of His will.” When a child is adopted, they take on the name and become one with the family. This is what Elohim does with us who have accepted Yahoshua as our Adonai. We are adopted and take on the name of the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here is one more clue, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . . Then will appear in the heaven the sign of the Son of Man . . . They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds . . . And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect.” (Matthew 24:29-31). Read this alongside the passage the pre-tribulation crowd teach as the rapture verse in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. Sure does sound like the same event.

Why do i make so much of this point? i fear that the rapture teaching will lead to great harm. This fear comes into play when the things spoken of in Matthew 24 begin to unfold. It concerns the pre-tribulation crowd still being here. i fear if they are not ready to stand against the final Anti-Christ, they will end up standing with him. At the very least, they will not be in his way. There is coming a great deception, that if possible will fool the very elect. If i am wrong about the rapture, no harm is done. Trust me if there is something to be wrong about, i hope it would be this. Even so i prepared myself to endure. I readied my spirit to stand in the face of death. I will NOT deny my Adonai Yahoshua Messiah. However, if the pre-tribulation crowd is wrong, and i fear they are, are they spiritually ready to endure? Are they ready to deny the many false Christ’s and THE false christ to come? “See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.” Matthew 24:25-26

Matthew 24:31 NLT— “And He will send out His angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather His chosen ones from all over the world — From the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.”

Even still Adonai come quickly, Maranatha!

You are loved,
cj

Signs . . . Pt 4

Persecutions and the Increase of Sin

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14

We must seek to do the WILL of the Father, love Elohim with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength; likewise our neighbor as ourselves. Love our enemies, “Forgive them for they know NOT what they do” (Said, Yahoshua on the cross and Stephen under a pile of rubble). It is going to become increasingly hard to love others, to love our enemies. Especially, once they begin to turn on us in spite of the love we have shown. They will assume they are doing what is right. Much like the brown shirts of Germany. They thought they were doing what is right by turning in the Jewish people and those who would help them. Even Paul admitted that he thought his zeal for YHWH gave him the right to persecute the Believers of the WAY.

It will come first from within. We see it already within the Church as it splits into the right, left, paradigm. False teachers have sprung up and are tickling the ears of many and in the midst of them are the ignorant. Persecutions are nothing new. We in the west don’t understand fully the weight because we have been blessed to live in the freedom of religion capital of the world. The early church wasn’t as lucky. The Apostles with the exception of John were all murdered for their belief. Some will say that John being exiled on the island of Patmos was a sever punishment, if only i would be exiled on an island. i would go in a heartbeat, but that’s a different story.

i recently saw a story about Christian persecution around the world and how it is increasingly common. India surprisingly, with only a single digit percentage of Christians is under increasing persecution. Of course China, but places like Ireland are also on the list. Of course the many countries on the African continent is a hotbed for persecution against Christians. So what will happen when that persecution really turns up on believers around the world? Well, Yahoshua said, many will be offended. i am one that believes this isn’t just those outside the “Church” i believe those who think of themselves as Christians will be offended by the Truth of the Word and turn on their fellowship thinking they are doing a service to the greater good. For the sake of coexisting, of course.

Even now we have believers who relish in the fall of other believers. They point fingers, laugh and applaud, rather than weep, and pray for them, reaching out in love as the word declares, in order to restore them. We treat them like a hot-potato and the sooner they are gone the better. Few things hurt more than having those you love, cheer your biggest struggles. The question is this; Can one forgive and live under true persecution? Like many around the world, can you stand up in the face of death? Can you endure to the end, even if that end is a martyr’s death? Because of this persecution, the love of many will grow cold. Not just the persecution, but the lawlessness.

Yahoshua, also talked about the increase in lawlessness. Who’s law? Man’s law or Elohim’s law? As the world increasingly decriminalizes things it certainly can’t be man’s laws that lawlessness abounds in . . . Certainly, Yahoshua was referring to the increase of lawlessness to the Word, to the laws of Elohim. But what laws is He talking about since many in the Church believe the old covenant is gone? This is a slippery slop for the church and they don’t even realize they are on it. Yahoshua, said, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness, this is the same lawlessness that is increasing in the world.

We need to get back to the fundamentals of walking with Yahoshua. Follow His example, which will ensure that we are counted worthy of persecution. That seems counter intuitive but it is truth. We must walk in love that says, go and sin no more. We must walk in love that picks up the broken-hearted, helps the widow and the orphan. We must walk in love that puts others first. We must walk in love that does justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with YHWH.

Endure to the end, do not stop loving and sharing the good news of salvation in Yahoshua who takes away the sin of the world. This message will reach the ends of the earth . . . Endure to the end!

Do no let your love grow cold.

You are loved
cj

Signs . . . Pt 3

Famines, Pestilences, and Earthquakes

“. . . And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:7

Much like wars, famines, disease, and earthquakes have been around since the fall of man. We could look at countless famines in Scripture, Egypt and the surrounding territories suffered a famine and if not for Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream things would have been way worse. Plague’s, and diseases, have also been around, again we could find many examples of this within Scripture. Finally, earthquakes, i think one overlooked earthquake in Scripture is the one at Yahoshua’s death, in which the graves opened up (see Matthew 27:51-53).

So, again, like with wars we need to get some perspective. Once again Israel is the timepiece. With that our time stamp takes us to 1948. Everything before 1948 we can put in the category of Braxton Hicks Contractions. Here is a quote from social science action, “More than 70 million people died in famines during the 20th century.” Although the article notes the success, some countries are having eradicating mass mortality food crises. It also points out that parts of the world, namely sub-Saharan Africa, have become endemic since the late 1960’s.

We all know of the most recent plan-demic. As reported, this bio engineered power grab, with particularly deadly results in the elderly and immuno compromised population, brought the economy of the world to a screeching halt. Still, what is the data since 1948? i went to PubMed for the following: “The last 40 years has been no exception, as the world witnessed the emergence and reemergence of viral outbreaks, of which Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in 1981, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2002, H1N1 influenza virus in 2009, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, Ebola virus in 2013 and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019-present, are noteworthy.” This and the prediction of more severe diseases to come, just ask the WEF, or Bill Gates.

The one that gets the most press is earthquakes and although for a long time they tried to deflect the truth, one could always find the data that showed an uptick in earthquakes; both frequency and magnitude. Here is a statement from USGS.gov “In the past 40-50 years, our records show that we have exceeded the long-term average number of major earthquakes about a dozen times. The year with the largest total was 2010, with 23 major earthquakes (greater than or equal to magnitude 7.0).” What about 2023? “In the span of 12 months in 2023, a staggering 15,600 earthquakes were detected. Among these, 19 seismic events reached a significant magnitude of 7.0 or higher, 128 between magnitudes 6.0 and 6.9, and 1,637 registered magnitudes between 5.0 and 5.9.” (Data collected by Quantectum).

Although, there is without a doubt an uptick in both magnitude and frequency of earthquakes, disease, and famines, these things should not bring fear or worry. No, on the contrary, Yahoshua said, “See that you are not troubled.” These things must take place, what they should do for us as believers is get our attention. His return is a certainty, and it draws increasingly closer. So now is the time to Workout Your Salvation with Fear and Trembling! Or ask the question, “What must I do to be saved?”

Are we in the birth pains? It sure does feel like it!

You are loved,
cj

Signs . . . Pt 2

Wars and Rumors of War

War is messy and destructive. It has also been around nearly, since time began. What we look for in the fulfillment of prophecy is frequency and magnitude. WWI, the war to end all wars was thought to be it. Then just a few years later WWII followed by localized boarder skirmishes. Now if it hasn’t already started technically, certainly, we are on the doorstep of WWIII. So given history, why are so many pointing to what is going on now and saying that this time it is prophecy fulfilled? Another point that we need to address is our western understanding. We have a sense of entitlement, everything must run through us.

Yet, the Word of Elohim is clear. The center of the world, the time piece of history, is Israel. Therefore, any and all prophecy needs to run through and around Israel. With that understanding, until Israel was back on the map in 1948 there couldn’t have been birth pains as described in Matthew 24. Perhaps what we could call all of the previous wars are Braxton Hicks type of labor pains. i think we can safely say that WWII was Braxton Hicks contractions as it prepared the way for the reformation of Israel. It was getting things ready for the real labor pains to come. You see all of end times prophecy involves Israel, period. Now does it effect the rest of the world? Of course. So, lets take a look at what is going on globally.

Here is a partial list of wars, rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom conflicts around the world. Russia and Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Kosovo, and Serbia, China and Taiwan, North Korea and South Korea, Upheaval of French Africa, Russia and USA (in proxy wars in Ukraine, and Syria). China and USA (if China does invade Taiwan, this will be a major point of conflict). Now lets add to the partial list, activity directly related to Israel. Iran through proxy groups in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, verse Israel. Israel and Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinians. Israel and Iran. In support of Israel a western coalition directly engaging the Yemeni Houthis.

i just saw a news article out of Yemen, in which it appears hundreds of thousands, if not a million, protesters in the streets. Not opposing the Houthis, but in support of the Houthis leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi. Condemning the attack by the United States and its allies, referring to the USA as “the Devil.” Again the Houthis are aligned with Iran in support of Hamas against Israel. Add to this the protests against Israel and in support of the Palestinians in its global reach and it numbers in the millions. And don’t forget the involvement of the United Nations, who are supposedly neutral, but full of condemnation for Israel.

So, is what we are seeing a sign? To answer this lets look at Zechariah 12:2-3 — “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. Judah will be besieged, as well as Jerusalem. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.” This is just one passage of many, that gives us an understanding that what we see happening now could very well be part of the actual birth pains Yahoshua described to His disciples. Certainly, if we were just looking at this it would be fair to conclude that this present age of wars, rumors of wars, etc is indeed a sign and part of the birth pains described by Yahoshua.

The Word tells us not to fear, although, fear is a natural response to war. Yet, we know that those that endure will be saved, that is the great hope we have in Messiah. Yahoshua, says, “See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom . . .” If we are in the last days, buckle up because, the ride only gets wilder from here.

You are loved,
cj

Signs . . . pt1

“. . . His disciples came to Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal Your return and the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

i have covered this before but feel given the times we are in and the events happening around the world it would be good to revisit. Yahoshua in the Olivet discourse, sets out a pattern of things to come, signs to look for, prior to His return. With the world on the cusp of WWIII, eschatology, or the study of end times, is off the charts. Speculation, is running rampant, so what are the signs and what do they mean? And why is it important?

First, i do believe it is vitally important that every believer have some clue as to His return. The warnings alone should spark a desire within the very heart of every single believer to look up! But also, it is Yahoshua, Paul, Peter, and many others that say, “do not be fooled.” There is coming a great deception and it will fool many. Even the elect if possible. So what are we to look for according to Yahoshua in Matthew 24? He likens the signs to birth pains. i haven’t given birth but i was very present for the birth of all three of my boys. One thing that happened with all three of them was something known as Braxton Hicks contractions.

Braxton Hicks contractions according to the Mayo Clinic are: “‘false’ labor pains. If you’re pregnant, you might have these before true labor. They’re your body’s way of getting ready for the real thing. But they don’t mean labor has started or is about to begin.” Do not be fooled by folks who try to make everything that happens some sort of sign of the imminent return of Messiah Yahoshua. Don’t get swept away by predictions, for “no man knows the day or the hour.” With that said, know what to look for so you will not be deceived.

So what are the true birth pains? Well, there are two things to consider, first, what specifically did Yahoshua point out to His disciples? Second, is there an uptick in frequency? We will begin with what Yahoshua said, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will lead many astray.” Matthew 24:4-5 Again, this can not be stated enough, do not be lead astray!

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:6-8

So what do we have here, wars, rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, famines, and earthquakes. Well, can we check the box on any or all of these? Over the next several posts we will look at each of these more in-depth. This and the next set of warning signs, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:9-12

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:13
Enduring to the end is another ther theme of end times prophecy that gets over looked maybe even more so than the warning to not be led astray. The big sign, however, in all of this is; “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Matthew 24:15-16

So are we in the birth pains? Or are the things happening now just Braxton Hicks type pains? Again, this is what we will explore over the next several posts. Regardless of what we find, we are in for a wild ride. So buckle up!

You are loved,

cj

the love of many

“And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold.” Matthew 24:12

Are you getting discouraged with the direction of the world? There are so many hot spots. We are told that the entire Middle East would be and it is a powder keg. However, let’s mention a few others, China and Taiwan, Russia and Ukraine, North Korea and its testing of long range missiles, that’s a few global, not to mention local uprisings in France, Australia, Germany. Even here at home lawlessness is increasing all over the USA, mainly in your bigger cities but we also have a crisis at our southern border.

Frustration and discouragement lead to bitterness and a loss of understanding, respect, civility, and ultimately love. i am writing to encourage you not depress but knowledge is key here. You have to be aware of what is going on so that you can fight off these feelings. As believers we have the Holy Spirit, we have a Prince of Peace, we have an Almighty Elohim. Knowing this is vital!

There is a reason the early church was given warnings and told what to look out for in the future. Many of them were living under constant persecution. We in the west really cannot relate, but we need to start preparing spiritually, and mentally, for what is coming. Remind yourself of who you are in Messiah. As things become more unhinged knowing these things would come to pass before His return should give us peace and hope.

“Peace I leave with you – My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

” Yahshua answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he shall guard My Word. And My Father shall love him, and we shall come to him and make Our stay with him.’” John 14:23

There isn’t a need for me to analyze these crises, there are many already doing that. i am simply highlighting them to bring awareness to the fact that the reason these things are happening is that the lawless one is currently running the show. Yahshua said, “I shall no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he possesses naught in Me.” John 14:30

“But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13

“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7 KJV

Do not let your love grow cold. Stay focused on Adonai. Stay obedient to His Word, by staying IN His Word. Know that these things are coming and we are called to endure, and to love.

You are loved,

cj

Concerning the coming of our Adonai

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Adonai Yahshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Messiah had come. 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 Thessalonians 2:1-3 NKJ (Italic’s & Hebrew Names added by me)

i feel a pressing urgency to write to you, in light of current events. i hear many talking about getting ready because the rapture is going to happen. Yet, time and time again as Paul wrote above, and Yahshua, said in Matthew 24:12; “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Many are not ready for what is at the doorstep of the world.

i want to say this as succinctly as possible. Instead of hoping for a rapture, what we should be doing is strengthening our faith in order to endure. There are times that are coming, as Yahshua declared and as Paul taught, that will try every man (humanity), and we are called to endure. Paul says it this way, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Adonai Yahshua HaMashiach Himself, and our Elohim and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

Yahshua says it this way, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” John writes to the Churches in Revelation, saying, “repent,” “overcome,” “endure.” These are not merely empty sayings but warnings; we as believers are going to see a time like nothing seen before and we must be able to endure. Not with fear but with hope. Not alone but by and with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).

i fear the reason we read about a falling away is because many are not ready to endure, not many are willing to give up the pleasures of this world. Rather, they are putting their hope in it which only leads to destruction. Narrow is the way to salvation and few find it, are you ready to endure?

You are loved,

cj

A Kingdom Divided

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” Mark 3:24-25

The puppetmasters are working overtime to divide us. They are opperating from a postion of false unity that is actually tearing us apart. It is right out of a playbook, divide, and conquer. The more subclasses they can create the more confusion is created. Race, political, economic, gender, sexual orintation, maskers & vaxxers, and of course religious . . . to name a few prominent ones.

One of the playbooks being used is the “Communist Manifesto” and it states,

“Do Communists reject existing religions?
Answer: All religions which have existed hitherto were expressions of historical stages of development of individual peoples or groups of peoples. But communism is that stage of historical development which makes all existing religions superfluous and supersedes them.”

This question is the one that gets me the most especially knowing something about how end-time prophecies play out. It should be especially alarming to you too! There are others that are also frightening, but as a Follower of The Way, this is the most egregious. How does it relate to the passage in Mark? Simply put, as a country so divided we are ripe for a fall and the one who is both doing the pushing and the catching is planning a system very similar to communism. It isn’t communism in its entirety as there will be a religion. A one world religion that worships the beast.

“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.” Revelation 13:11-12

This is the beast that was given the allowance to wage war on the saints. “Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. If anyone has an ear . . .” Revelation 13:7-9

Friends, we are living in a time that requires that we seek Truth. We need to take off our worldly lenses and begin to look at everything through the scope of Scripture and that of the Whole Testimony. We must be like the Bereans: “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11

Stay vigilant, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

You are loved,

cj