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  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    The Way of Escape

    No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

    1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV (emphasis added)

    This verse has a narrow context, that of dealing with temptation to sin while living in a sin-cursed world. It may have a much broader application, and that’s what I would like to explore.

    God judged the world for its wickedness in the days of Noah. We know that Noah was “perfect in his generations” but that does not mean he was morally pure or sinless. Rather, this suggests that Noah was genetically untainted. But Noah and his family were sinners like us, and they needed an escape from God’s judgment. God provided the ark, a way of escape for Noah, his family, and we presume “whosoever will.” Eight souls were saved; the rest perished in God’s righteous judgment.

    The Jews in the days of Jeremiah were wicked people and came under God’s judgment. God raised up Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans to judge His people. But God also provided a way of escape. Jeremiah told the people they could surrender to the Chaldeans and escape with their lives. Some of the Jews were already living in exile in Babylon, and God had already told the Jews they would be taken out of the land – one way or another – for seventy years. Not surprisingly, the Jews in Jerusalem preferred the soothing message of their false prophets, rejected the word of God from Jeremiah, and were destroyed by “the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence” (Ezekiel 14:21).

    As we move forward in Jewish history about 600 years, Jesus pronounced judgment on the Jews and Jerusalem once again. He said the city and the Temple would be destroyed, and the people would be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed from Abel to Zechariah (Luke 11:51). But once again, God provided a way of escape. Jesus warned those who would listen that when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies, to simply drop everything and run. Jesus gave them a time frame – “this generation” – which we know to be 40 years. He told them what to look for: advancing armies (in a parallel passage He called it “the abomination of desolation” – compare Luke 21:20 and Matt. 24:15). Those who heeded His warning escaped. The rest endured horrific hardship (read Josephus) and were destroyed, sold into slavery, or dispersed into the world as homeless vagabonds.

    In the U.S. in 1741, Jonathan Edwards lamented the lethargy in the church and the apathy many self-identified Christians displayed toward spiritual realities, and he preached what was arguably the most powerful “awakening sermon” ever delivered on American soil. His closing comment merits our attention:

    Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let every one fly out of Sodom: “Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.”

    Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards, 1741

    Edwards’ warning was directed to religious church-attenders who were “out of Christ.” In our day, it’s people who identify as Christians, live good clean lives, maybe even go to church, but are self-centered. It’s their time, their money, their stuff, their career, their reputation, what makes them feel safe and comfortable and happy. Who is the “lord” of a life like that? This is a life that is saturated by temptation, and the person living it may not even suspect that it’s a life that needs to be ESCAPED FROM.

    If you spend more time watching TV than you spend in prayer and Bible study, you need to ask yourself “why?” If the scriptures seem dry and they don’t really talk to you, you should ask yourself “why?” If you hope things will get “back to normal” and this end-times stuff seems unreasonable, you should ask yourself “why?” You may want to turn off the noise and try to discern who is REALLY the lord of your life.

    Appeal for action

    This post is intended to be a STARK WARNING to anyone who will read and THINK. We were told in the book of Revelation about the fierce judgments of God that would come upon this planet. Those judgments are here. The Four Horsemen are arriving. The actions of the world’s governments and various “health organizations” make no sense medically, but make perfect sense when viewed as an intentional global GENOCIDE. The elites of this world have already told us they think the world is over-populated. They want to kill over six billion of us, according to the Georgia Guidestones. They mean it for evil.

    But God means it for judgment and ultimate good. We have been adequately warned, but once again, God has provided an escape. He has promised that those who trust Christ and abide in Him will be delivered. This is not Christ as a means to an end, or Christianity as an insurance policy. This is a complete surrender to Christ in every area of life. Repent and believe the gospel. The gospel message is that Jesus Christ is LORD.

    What are you going to do about it?

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    According To Your Faith

    My thanks to Melissa at the “Midnight Hour Oil” YouTube channel for a clarifying insight which I will now share.

    As you are no doubt aware, the eschatological community is divided on the question as to whether or not Christians will be on the earth during the “tribulation period” (usually understood as that period of time when the judgments described in Revelation are administered), or whether the Christians will be removed from earth before this period of time begins. Will we be faced with the choice of whether or not to take the Mark of the Beast? Or will we be removed from the earth by the rapture before the Mark and the global, digital economic system is deployed? When The Dragon is granted authority over every tribe, tongue and nation, will that include US?? (gulp!)

    In Luke 21:36 Jesus counsels us to be watchful and prayerful, praying that we might be “counted worthy to escape.”

    Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

    Luke 21:36, NKJV (emphasis added)

    Escaping sounds pretty good. Maybe that’s our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).

    Some think otherwise. I need not explore or explain all the reasons why people come down on one side or the other of this question. The reason is because it’s unnecessary: both sides may be correct. After all, Revelation 12 taken at face value shows the rapture and also shows a group identified as “the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” remaining on earth. The Dragon curses those in heaven and makes war against those left behind. Additionally, we see in Rev. 15:2 those who have victory over the Beast and over his mark. Clearly, these people will be on the earth when the Beast system is deployed.

    One resolution is that these people are unbelievers when the rapture happens, but suddenly become believers after the rapture. The rapture happens and then they “get it,” or some of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses persuade them to believe in Jesus. I think both these attempted resolutions are extremely unlikely. First, those unbelievers left behind are sent a “strong delusion” because they have rejected the truth. They don’t become tender toward God, but rather they are hardened against Him. Second, the 144,000 are NOT a global evangelism task force. Scripture says nothing about them evangelizing anyone. Rather, they follow the Lamb where-ever He goes. They are an entourage.

    A more reasonable explanation is that “the rest of her offspring” are Christians who were not “counted worthy to escape.” This may sound arrogant or judgmental, but it’s not. People decide for themselves whether or not they are worthy, and they act according to their decision. A stark Biblical example is recorded in Acts 13:46, where Paul and Barnabas preached the word to the Jews in Antioch (this was a city in western Turkey, not the city of the same name in Syria). By refusing to accept the message of grace by faith, these people disqualified themselves from the blessing of everlasting life.

    On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’

    Acts 13:44-47 NKJV (emphasis added)

    Paul did not judge them, nor did God. The Jews judged themselves unworthy and reaped the results.

    Jesus was consistent with His message, “may it be done to you according to your faith” or words to that effect.  You receive what you believe.  Faith triggers the divine response.  Anything is possible to those who believe. Go through the gospels and look at the miracles of Jesus. Almost without exception the presence of faith is explicitly stated or strongly implied. Conversely, Jesus could not do many miracles when there was strong unbelief (Matt. 13:58, Mark 6:5-6).

    There are, within the Christian community, a LOT of folks who push back against the idea that the rapture will happen before this “tribulation period” begins.  If they don’t have faith in Jesus to deliver them from the tribulation that’s coming, then will He deliver them?  If a rapture deliverance is offered but must be believed and received by faith, will someone who does not believe be delivered? Or will he be left on earth?

    Jesus said, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” What’s your response? Faith or unbelief? Jesus offers to keep you from the trial. Do you believe Him?

    I think this is the case: you are worthy of rapture if you trust Jesus to deliver you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.  If you don’t believe, then you can’t receive, and you will be left behind.

    Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened.

    Matthew 9:28-30 NKJV (emphasis added)

    This would certainly explain Rev. 12:7 and following scriptures that show Christians on the earth after the rapture, and it does not force “worthy” into becoming in any way meritorious.  If we are justified, NOT by works but by belief in Jesus as the Justifier, it seems consistent that we will be delivered, NOT by works, but by belief in Jesus as the Deliverer.

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    Fellowship With the King

    A day is coming when all those who love Jesus Christ will be gathered with Him for a time of intimate fellowship. This day is foreshadowed by a Jewish feast day called Shemini Atzeret. This day may not be well known among Christians (since, sadly, most appear clueless about Jewish feasts generally), and its existence and significance may also be unimportant to many Jews. Shemini Atzeret is the day following the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot) which is the last of the fall feasts. For seven days, the Jews would live in temporary dwellings. This was to remind them of their wilderness wanderings, as well as suggesting that we are in “temporary dwellings” while living on earth. On the eighth day, the Jews would then abandon their temporary “tabernacle” and move into their permanent home. Understandably, it’s associated with resurrection and eternal life, as Mary suggested in John 11:24. It is the “Last Great Day” referred to in John 7:37.

    There are reasons for believing this feast may be fulfilled in October of 2030. The reasons are, to me, fairly compelling, but it’s still just a conjecture, and I fully understand that some may reject the time of its fulfillment as unknown and unknowable.

    But while the date of its fulfillment may be unknown, its fulfillment is a certainty. There WILL come a day when Jesus will gather all of His close friends, and a global reign of peace under Him will begin. It will truly be glorious.

    “But ...” you may be thinking, ” … not until 2030? That’s another nine years.” True, but a lot has to happen between now and then. At least seven more years is required. For starters, the venue must be prepared. Scripture refers to this venue as the “Most Holy*” or “Most Holy Place” and it must be constructed and anointed for service. The construction takes place during the 1,215 “days of blessing” which begin after the battle of Armageddon. It will take some time for the land to be cleansed, Jerusalem to be re-built, and the Temple described in Ezekiel 40-41 to be completed.

    Armageddon, as we know, is the Final Battle, coming at the end of Satan’s 42-month global reign of terror. Those events have been well described in scripture and much discussed by those waiting for the return of Christ. Satan will be given legitimate authority by God Himself over every tribe, tongue and nation. But before this authority is granted, God has said He will seal His Jewish remnant and bring them to safety in the wilderness, and also gather His Gentile bride to Himself. All these things will take some time; some periods are specified (e.g. 42 months, 1,260 days, 1,335th day) and others are not.

    There is also some vagueness regarding the precise time of Shemini Atzeret at the end, because there are several Hebrew calendars all claiming to be correct, and they don’t always agree. But we know that Shemini Atzeret in 2030 is on or about October 19th, so the first Day of Blessing would be on or about June 22, 2027. Does this mean Satan’s reign ends on June 21st? Not necessarily, but if it does, then his grant of global authority would begin on or about November 22, 2023. Before then, we can properly expect the rapture, possible massive global “sudden destruction,” the confirmation of a covenant (Daniel 9:27), the emergence of ten world leaders, the selection of one of them as THE World Leader, and the establishment of a central government seated in Jerusalem.

    That, my dear friends, is a LOT of activity to be packed into about 75 days. I think these events are placed in roughly chronological order, and I believe the rapture happens next (though there may be a preceding “sign of the great fiery red dragon” per Rev. 12:3). I also think things could happen even faster, with The Dragon beginning his reign at the end of October. For those who expect a “summer harvest,” summer ends on September 23rd.

    We don’t know, of course. We’re not commanded to “know” – we’re commanded to 1) watch, 2) pray, and 3) be ready. The reason I’m posting this is because there is a LOT of focus in the eschatosphere on the coming hard times, the increase in tyranny and the coming genocide. I think a lot of people may be watching the wrong stuff. If we’re testifying to all the bad stuff, we’re off our message. We need to be reminded (or at least I do) that we’re not appointed to wrath, and that at the end of the ‘week’ we will enjoy fellowship with our King and Savior. We should be living in constant joyful anticipation of our future with Him. Our message should be that the King is coming!

    So be bold and be joyful. There will be a Harvest Moon in just two weeks. It could be significant. Are you ready?

    • Daniel 9:24, Ezekiel 41:4, Ezekiel 43:7-12, Ezekiel 44:13, Ezekiel 45:1-3, Ezekiel 48:12

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    A Reality Check

    I still get push-back when challenging the popular eschatological narrative: that a seven-year tribulation period is coming, that the Jews will build a Temple and resume animal sacrifices with God’s approval, that there will be a seven-year peace treaty, that God will seal 144,000 Jewish evangelists who will win countless souls to Christ during this “tribulation period,” and so forth. It pains me to repeat this foolishness. People who make this stuff up have made the eschaton into a comic book and have done a HUGE disservice to the body of Christ.

    Today’s little rant won’t start with Revelation, but rather at the other end of the Bible’s chronology. Many scholars believe the oldest book in the Bible is the book of Job. Most of us are (hopefully) aware of it. Job was a fabulously rich man who lived in the middle east at about the time of Abraham. Satan accused God of buying Job’s obedience, and the Lord permitted Satan’s proposed tests:

    And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

    And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

    Job 1:12, 2:6 NKJV

    Job was on the receiving end of Satan’s limited wrath for maybe a year or two. Satan’s attacks against Job had Divine constraints. Job held up well when his wealth was taken, but his misery was so unrelenting when he himself was in Satan’s hand that he despaired of life and cursed the day of his birth.

    THIS is Satan – the creature we read about in Revelation 13, who is about to receive unrestrained authority over every tribe, tongue and nation on the planet for 42 months:

    And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months … And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

    Revelation 13:5, 7 NKJV

    God is about to give Satan legitimate authority over every person on the planet, without restraint. Satan and his minions will be free to do whatever they wish, to anyone they choose. While it appears that they won’t have spiritual access to anyone, but will be limited to our three-dimensional world, this may not be much of a hindrance. Satan will own every person and everything on the planet, as well as the technology and resources to exercise control as he desires.

    This is the Dragon, the one who hates God and hates men made in His image. This is the devil who comes in great wrath, because he knows his time is short (Rev. 12:12). He comes to steal, kill and destroy with a vengeance. With that in mind, are you really getting good counsel when someone tells you to get silver coins and a bug-out location off the grid someplace? Can you really expect that your water filter and plastic tubs of dried food will matter? DON’T YOU GET IT??

    Do you really think that this spiritual miscreant and his buddies are going to “make nice” for a few years before they start hammering this planet? Does it even make sense that he would wait or, for three years, pretend he likes the Jews and wants them to worship God in Jerusalem? And then, according to the popular narrative, he ceases his charade and shows his true colors, and suddenly the Jews “get it” and flee Jerusalem, just before “great tribulation.” Again, does this really make any logical sense?

    The seminaries, the pulpits, the schools, the news media, the entertainment industry, the medical establishment, the military, our political and governmental institutions – ALL have been co-opted by those with an agenda of planetary destruction. Do you really think you can hide from them for three years? Or even three months? He who seeks to save his life WILL lose it.

    It really surprises me that so many Christians still don’t see what’s coming. We are on the threshold of the wrath of God being poured out on everything that God hates, and most folks appear oblivious. Popular fiction suggests that during the so-called “tribulation period” men will have the means to resist; that things will be unpleasant but survivable for the first 3 1/2 years, and THEN things get really bad. Sadly, popular eschatology supports much of this, with the totally unbiblical model that there will be “tribulation” for the first half, but God’s wrath does not appear until after “The Antichrist” desecrates a legitimate and God-honoring Jewish Temple after 3 1/2 years. In other words: there’s still time. Time to pray, time to study, time to make Jesus the only priority in my life.

    But there isn’t. The rapture will happen, and every left-behind Christian will be quickly and aggressively hunted down and killed. Those in the Thyatiran great tribulation (Rev. 2:22) will either recant their faith or die. I believe the “table has been set” for the Four Horsemen. The agenda of the God-haters is in plain sight: GLOBAL GENOCIDE. I don’t know why God has graciously opened the eyes of some while the vast majority slumber on, but may I just urge you to read the scriptures for yourself. The Christians who are “spewed out” are lukewarm. The Christians left for “great tribulation” are those with immorality and idolatry in their lives. How much immorality and idolatry does it take to miss the rapture? Do you really want to find out?

    We have a promise from Jesus Christ: if you keep His command to persevere, then He will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Abide in Him – remain in Him – trust in Him so that His indwelling Spirit will transform you. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that your life demonstrates God’s good, acceptable and perfect will.

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    The Final Item

    Those who read blogs like this are no doubt very familiar with the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew, chapter 24:

    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 24:14 NKJV

    The verse came up yesterday in a discussion I had with a stranger in the park up the street from my house. I was walking my dog yesterday evening, as I am wont to do, and we passed a young man who had the Hebrew word ḥāzaq (pronounced “huh ZACK”) on his T-shirt. While I don’t know Hebrew, I recognized the written language so I asked him about it. “It’s the Hebrew word for ‘be strong’ from Joshua 1:9 ” he explained.

    Discussion ensued. He’d gone with a church mission group to Israel before this Covid thing got started. We talked about Psalm 19, God’s fingerprints in nature, how the topography of Jerusalem is in the form of the Hebrew letter shin which is God’s monograph, and the fact that it takes much more faith to believe in evolution than creation. So it was a warm and encouraging discussion. Then I asked if he thought Jesus was coming back soon, and he opined that we had not yet reached the entire world with the gospel, so we probably had a few more years before He would return.

    “A few more years?” Well, let’s think about this.

    I guess I was surprised, and the more I think about this, the more surprised I am. After all, this guy was a serious Christian. The average American pew-packer does not sport witness-wear or take a possibly bullet-dodging mission trip to the middle east. So I was really kind of jolted that he did not seem to be at all aware of the lateness of the hour. And there may be a LOT of folks who we’d consider Christian (and who very probably ARE Christian) who, nevertheless, don’t really know.

    The primary question is: HAS the gospel of the kingdom been preached in all the world? If not, who have we missed? It’s a serious question, but I think there’s a scriptural answer. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, “… you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world …” (Col. 1:5-6, emphasis added)

    This hints at a fulfillment of Christ’s condition. Paul then goes on to say:

    … if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

    Colossians 1:23 NKJV emphasis added

    I’ve explored this before. I’ve wondered, for instance, why the U.S. churches send money and manpower to places like New Guinea. We’ve been doing it for years, and no doubt we’ve helped a lot of people. But in the sense of the Great Commission or the condition Jesus gave concerning His return, hasn’t the job been done? Paul would go into an area where the gospel had never been heard, he’d stay for a few weeks until a church was established, and then he’d move on. Jesus sent out disciples in pairs to visit the cities and towns in Israel and preach the gospel of the kingdom. Some accepted the message and some rejected it. In all cases, “mission accomplished.” And yet we’ve got folks thinking that after 2,000 years – and especially with today’s technology and resources – there is still some nation or group or tribe that has been left out, overlooked or forgotten … so Jesus can’t return yet.

    It very much appears to me that ALL of the signposts Jesus told us to watch for – from phony Christians deceiving many, to wars and threats of wars, to lawlessness, to fierce persecution of Christians worldwide – are writ large in the headlines every day. I really doubt that Planet Earth must, or can, endure “a few more years” of this escalating grief before Jesus gathers His people and begins the serious business of judging His enemies.

    Put me down for “a few more weeks.” Like maybe three – I still think September 20th is an extremely likely rapture date. Jesus’ “final item” has been completed. We’re going home.

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    Three Days of Darkness

    There have been persistent rumors in the eschatosphere about “three days of darkness” that will occur, maybe any day now.  Some think a near pass-by of Nibiru, some think it’s during “the tribulation” and perhaps some just think it’s either the sixth seal or the fifth vial (though scripture does not give a duration for either).

    There are three days of darkness in Exodus 10:22 but there’s no scriptural evidence that this plague will be repeated in these last days.  Similarly, there were three HOURS of darkness during the crucifixion (Luke 23:44), but this was neither the punitive darkness of Exodus, nor the painful darkness of Revelation (Rev. 16:10-11).  The only thing these three periods of darkness seem to have in common is that none of them led to repentance. There was also the “sign of Jonah” which was “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,” – not presented as three days of darkness, but suggestive of a three-day motif.

    That being said, I generally consigned the idea of “three days of darkness” to either the fertile imaginations of the un-studied, or to an alleged revelation to Padre Pio about a hundred years ago. It’s certainly possible that there could be a three-day period of darkness, but there’s no scriptural evidence for it.

    However, lack of evidence does not mean lack of likelihood, and it now appears at least likely that there may be a three-day period of darkness in the very near future.  Once again, conjecture:  IF the rapture happens on September 20th, and IF the bad guys “pull the trigger” and launch global war on September 23rd, THEN the intervening time could be three days of spiritual darkness, confusion, fear and uncertainty.  And I think this is extremely likely.  I don’t think it will be physical darkness; that is, the sun won’t stop shining.  But when you think of what “darkness” is, the term will apply.  You can’t see the landmarks and don’t know if they’re still there.  The “new normal” may include people suddenly disappearing.  Might you be taken next?  Not sure.

    Your “minister” may say “the tares have been removed.  All the trouble-makers are being taken out.”  Can you believe him?  The mainstream media may promote a great deception, that “benevolent beings from another galaxy have arrived to help us.”  Can you trust them?  In short: those left behind will be “in darkness” because they won’t know where they are, or where they are going, or what’s going to happen next, or how soon.  Of course, these things are true of the vast majority of people today.  But it’s not a concern.  Most people are too busy and too distracted to deal with these questions.

    God is merciful.  We drown out His voice and His promptings with noise, distraction, activity:  TV, social media, gotta run here, gotta go there, gotta do this.  It’s sometimes called the “tyranny of the urgent” and it’s stuff in life that, in the great cosmic scheme of things, may not be that important at all.  But it’s clamoring, it’s persistent, and it’s habitual. It demands your attention, and most of us can only do one thing at a time. So the things that are really, eternally important remain unaddressed and unresolved. “Maybe I can get around to that later,” we think. And for many, “later” never comes.

    Right now, we have LOTS of Christians world-wide who are being pressured by their employers to become “experimental lab rats” for these so-called vaccines.  The fear is that if they take the jab, they die from the vaccine.  If they DON’T take it, they lose their job … and then what? 

    Fear sets in. “Does the Lord want me to obey my employer? Am I being rebellious if I refuse?” Lots of fear and doubt, no doubt stoked by the Evil One. If ever we needed to hear the voice of the Spirit, it’s now.

    What has this to do with three days of darkness?  I think that God, in His mercy, is going to turn off all the noise for three days.  For those “gleanings” who miss the rapture but will ultimately be saved (Rev. 12:17, 13:7, 15:2), they will need a few days to sort things out and decide whether they think dying for Jesus is worth it.  They will know something big, painful, ugly and unavoidable is coming, and they will need some down time.  They will need to think through WHY they missed the rapture.  They will need to rend their hearts and truly repent.

    For us, WE need to take down time.  Maybe this is why God is using wicked men to nudge His children toward the exits.  Maybe we don’t need jobs any more.  MAYBE our careers have become our idols and we need to repent.  MAYBE we see our “jobs” as our providers, instead of seeing that God simply USED our jobs as a means of His provision; that He can still provide for His children, even if “the company” fires us for not getting vax’d.  Maybe God is being merciful!!

    If I’m correct, we truly have very little time left.

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    Words Fail Me

    They really do! When I try to articulate, even in my private devotions, the beauty, power, excellence, goodness and other attributes of the God and Savior who loves me, I can easily wind up dumbstruck before His Throne of Grace. We do the best we can, I would suppose, but our language is really limited, as well as being restraining. It’s problematic for me to tell Jesus that I love Him, when we use the word ‘love’ to apply to all sorts of things. If I also ‘love’ a good steak, then is ‘love’ really the best word to use in worship?

    As I said, we do the best we can. But there’s a precious promise in the book of Zephaniah that I can’t wait to enjoy:

    For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.

    Zephaniah 3:9, NKJV

    In context, this will follow the day the earth is devoured by the fire of His jealousy. This is NOT, as some may have suggested, the resurrection of Hebrew in the modern State of Israel. It may be the restoration of the language originally spoken in Eden. Have you ever considered what a PURE language might be like?

    First, I’d suggest that it lacks ambiguity. If I speak to you in a pure language, you will know EXACTLY what I mean. It has unavoidable precision and error-correction. English has some rudimentary error-correction. For example, If I wrote to you, “I worked hard all day and then I went hone,” you would know exactly what I meant. “Hone” is a valid English word but makes no sense in this context. You would know I went “home.” Perhaps you’ve seen the statement “Paris in the the spring” and went right past the redundancy. You automatically correct the error, perhaps without even noticing.

    The Pure Language will go beyond this. We think with language. If the words in our language don’t express a concept, then we can’t conceptualize. Our language and vocabulary shape what we’re able to think about, as well as HOW we think about it. If our minds are constrained by a Pure Language, it may be that we can’t conceptualize untruth. Therefore, when one speaks a pure language, it may be impossible to lie. That’s in italics because it’s conjecture. Adam and Eve very probably spoke the pure language in the garden. The serpent, being a liar, may not have. (My suspicion is that he spoke a seductive and possibly sensuous language, perhaps concepts were transferred emotionally rather than intellectually.) When Adam and Eve sinned, their language would also have been tainted, as sin corrupts everything it touches. Hence, the first statement out of Adam’s mouth after he sinned was a lie.

    When the curse is lifted during the Millennium, language will no longer be burdened or tainted by sin. Today, our culture, commerce, politics, history and everything else is saturated by lies, half-truths, deceptions and the like. All liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8). God takes lying very seriously. Can you even imagine a world where there is NO LYING??

    We will also have appropriate and adequate vocabulary for worship and praise, and I suspect it will be EXCLUSIVE language; that is, words that are only appropriate to God. He is AWESOME. We can expect that in Pure Language, “awesome” won’t be applied to anyone or anything else. We will be able to praise and worship and thank Him with accuracy and precision and passion.

    What a Day of rejoicing that will be!

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    Out of Focus

    Jesus Christ is Lord. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, the creator, the sustainer, and the only Savior. He and He alone is worthy of all praise and honor. Every one of us owes Him obedience and allegiance. He is the One before whom every one of us will stand to give an account.

    THAT is our message. But you wouldn’t know it from listening to a lot of Christian leaders, prophecy teachers and the rest. Sadly, the focus for many seems to be the latest dastardly deeds being done by the enemies of righteousness. The vaccine, mandates, which political luminary might be The Antichrist … masks and Covid and vote fraud and rallies to support new political candidates who can replace the current regime.

    And China. And Afghanistan. And Taiwan. And on and on.

    I have one preacher in mind. He has a church and a strong online presence. He does a LOT of research and makes weekly presentations. He covers all the bases and ends with an encouragement to bring people to Jesus before the rapture happens and it’s too late. Great information, very accurate. The guy is winsome and bright. But he’s 90% focused on what the bad guys are doing, and then 10% on trusting Jesus because its better than going through the “seven year tribulation period.” (If you’ve been paying attention, you know it’s really only 42 months.)

    So he gets the focus wrong, and he also presents Jesus as a means to an end. Jesus Christ is Lord, and He deserves our loyalty and obedience whether He raptures us or not. If we die miserable deaths from war, disease or famine – if the bad guys hold us down and pump poison into our veins, or murder us in our homes at 3 AM, then Jesus Christ is still Lord. He does His perfect will, and sometimes that does not include our comfort or our safety.

    Jesus Christ is Lord in Afghanistan. Our Christian brothers and sisters are suffering greatly there. They are dying with praise to Jesus on their lips.

    Let’s get back on message. Yes, we should be aware of the world and its problems, but no one is prepared for the wrath of God because they have a few silver coins and a water filter. We did not vote ourselves into this and we can’t vote (or shoot) our way out. Let’s live out Acts 20:21 and encourage others to do the same.

    I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Acts 20:20-21 NKJV

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    Rod of Iron Rulership

    The “rod of iron” is mentioned just four times in scripture. Its first appearance is in Psalm 2

    I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

    Psalm 2:7-9 NKJV

    It seems unarguable that the Father is giving the nations to the Son, and that Jesus would be exercising political authority over all the earth as a matter of inheritance. Understanding and agreement on these points is sufficient for our present purpose.

    The second mention is in Revelation 2:7 and this is where we come in. Jesus wrote seven letters to seven historical churches in Asia minor (currently western Turkey) and I share the view that the promises and warnings apply to all Christians. That is, the blessings offered to “him who overcomes” are not restricted to any one specific church, “type” of church, or church age. The warnings and encouragements may have been particularly relevant to those specific churches, but they are for all of us as well. In His letter to the church at Thyatira, Jesus cited Psalm 2 and offered to share this part of His inheritance with “he who overcomes, and keeps [His] works until the end.” This is astonishing: a political co-regency with Christ! He will rule the nations, and “overcomers” will rule with Him.

    The third mention is Rev. 12:5, another well-known passage in the eschatosphere. There are some who think this is simply a recapitulation of the First Coming. Jesus was born, Satan wanted to destroy Him, and He ascended into heaven. There are a few problems with this; among them, the necessary assumption that Jesus was in such great danger at the time of His ascension that He needed to be harpazo’d to safety. The Greek word is precise: “seize, carry off by force” and there is no way a reasonable person could conclude that this is a description of Jesus’ ascension (see Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9).

    It simply didn’t happen that way. This seems to be a symbolic description of the rapture, a sign in the heavens pointing to a future reality. Many think the alignment in Virgo (four years ago on this coming Sep. 23) was that sign. Whether it was or not, the scripture describes a “catching away” and if it’s NOT a recapitulation, the next likely conjecture is that it’s the “overcomers” who will be snatched out of harm’s way and will, with Jesus, rule with a Rod of Iron.

    This is, once again, a hint of a “partial rapture.” The overcomers, who keep His works until the end are snatched from Planet Earth, Those who “have kept [His] command to persevere” are kept from the hour of trial (Rev. 3:10). Those who “abide” (John 15:4), those who are alive and remain, (1 Thess. 4:15, 17) have a promise. The indifferent, carnal, idolatrous, adulterous, loveless … well, you’ve read the warnings.

    The final passage is Rev. 19:15. This seems to point to Jesus wielding the Rod of Iron alone, rather than with anyone else’s participation. The context is the Magog Invasion, when Satan’s 42-month rule over Planet Earth comes to an end. It could be that Jesus is acting alone in His dealing with the nations at this particular time, and subsequent Kingdom Law administration during the Millennium will be shared.

    That’s it. Study the scriptures and come to your own conclusions. But please don’t delay; there really isn’t much time left.

  • Anakypto Afterthoughts

    My Summary of Future Events

    It appears that the pieces to this end-times puzzle can be assembled in a number of different ways.  There is some ambiguity in the language that allows for various interpretations.  Along with that is my observation that a lot of knowledgeable people who love God, are honestly seeking the truth, and have no agendas or ulterior motives are studying the same data and coming to different conclusions.  Why God set it up this way is a mystery to me, and I thank Him that we don’t have this sort of confusion regarding the plan of salvation.  And probably “confusion” is the wrong word, since God is not the author of confusion.  Suffice to say, the details of the end remain cloaked in obscurity, most apparently by design.  So we can’t be dogmatic or hostile in our beliefs regarding the end, regardless of how well-supported those beliefs may be.

    With many events, it seems we can’t tell if they are types for ultimate fulfillment, or one-and-done events.  I don’t know anyone who thinks Gideon’s army of 300 was a prophetic pattern that will be ultimately fulfilled at the end; that is, that God is going to raise another army of 300 to defeat His enemies.  But we can’t rule it out.  So there may be many other details in the end that we don’t see or even suspect.  Again, this is a call to grace and graciousness toward our fellow-speculators.

    A final take-away is that, for most of us, it’s probably academic.  That is, we won’t be on the receiving end of God’s judgments and may not be involved in their administration.  Much of Revelation may be for those left behind.  So while we should be crystal clear on the part of the message that directly pertains to us, the details of the prophetic events following the rapture should not consume us, and certainly not to the point that we argue about them.  Read the text, reach your conclusions, share as appropriate, and allow others the same freedom.  Example:  we have a DIRECT COMMAND (Luke 21:36) to pray to be found worthy to escape.  We have an UNAMBIGUOUS PROMISE (Rev. 3:10) that if we keep His command to persevere, He will keep us from the hour of trial.  These are plain, simple, straightforward – they can be ignored or disobeyed, but no one can honestly say they are ambiguous or unclear.  On the other hand, we don’t really KNOW who the rider on the white horse is (Rev. 6:2) and, as you know, there are LOTS of speculations on the question.

    That all being said, I offer my own Summary of Future Events:

    1.  The Rapture –  I expect the rapture in September 2023.  It will be a “partial” rapture.  I don’t like this conclusion but I can’t avoid it.  Jesus said, “pray that you may be found worthy to escape” and this suggests conditions:  some won’t pray, and some won’t be worthy.  “Ask and you will receive.” Some won’t ask. One model is in Genesis where the bride of Adam was a sub-set of the body of Adam.  Similarly, the Bride of Christ will be taken from the Body of Christ.  Another example is the story of Lot where some believed and obeyed … and survived.  The sons-in-law laughed it off.  Lot’s wife looked back.  Oops.  “As it was in the days of Lot …” (Luke 17:28)

    2.  The Left-Behind believers – A Jezebel spirit has infected much of the visible church (Rev. 2:20-22).  I can’t be too illuminating on what beliefs and activities fall under the umbrella of “commit sexual immorality and … eat things sacrificed to idols.”  But we see in Revelation 12:5 that the Child who will rule is caught up to safety.  Twelve verses later we see “the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” being attacked on earth by The Dragon.  The only model I see that reconciles this is partial rapture.  In the preceding verse, they “did not love their lives to the death.”  Raptured saints don’t die.  In Rev. 13:7 the Dragon and the Beast make war with the saints and overcome them.  This can’t be an elect, preserved Jewish group because they’re kept safe in the wilderness.  It’s not those already raptured, so it appears that there are still some folks on the earth whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life (verse 8).  I think they must be Thyatira-type Christians who were warned, did NOT repent, and as a result are cast into “great tribulation.”

    3.  The Dry Bones Resurrection – Ezekiel 37 has not been fulfilled.  It has nothing to do with the “rebirth of Israel” (so-called) in May of 1948.  Rather, this is a major Resurrection event, a foretaste of which may have occurred when Jesus was raised (Matthew 27:52-53).  It is these and the true Jews still living who will be preserved in the wilderness.  Some think Petra; that’s probably as good a guess as any.  Bozrah has also been suggested.  David will be raised up to reign as king (Jeremiah 30:9, Ezekiel 37:24, Hosea 3:5).  They will be dwelling in safety, without gates or bars.  This is connected to the Sealing of the 144,000 which is the “confirmation of the covenant” and is the initiating event of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.  I expect the resurrection to occur in September of 2023.  There will be a global “calm before the storm” (Rev. 7:1) between the time they are raised and the time they are sealed.  Note: the scripture does not say or even suggest that these men are “witnesses” or “global evangelists” as suggested by Lindsey.  They are identified as “servants of our God” (Rev. 7:3) and they “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4). 

    4.  Daniel’s final week will begin on or before October 26, 2023.  But the “Great Tribulation” mentioned in Rev. 2:22 could begin on the day of the rapture, a week before the covenant is confirmed and the final ‘week’ begins. There will be a 70-day period during which those “gleanings” left after the harvest will be rounded up and given their final ultimatum:  pledge allegiance to the New World Order and take the mark … or die.  Once this is completed, the 42-month global reign of terror will begin.  When everyone who will be saved has been either raptured or killed, THEN “The Dragon” can be given authority over everyone left.  That will be on or about December 21, 2023.  It should be noted that the Winter Solstice is a significant day for Satan and his followers.

    5.  Two Witnesses – Just as John the Baptist came “in the spirit and power of Elijah”, God will raise up two end-time witnesses to stand before “the god of the whole earth” in the spirit and power of Moses and Aaron.  I don’t know who these two will be, but because they both die, I doubt that they are resurrected Old Testament saints.  These two men apparently orchestrate the trumpet and bowl judgments, and all kinds of other catastrophes that aren’t recorded but are suggested in Revelation 11:6.  Their 1,260-day ministry largely overlaps the 42-month time of authority granted to the Beast (Rev. 13:5).  Their calling-down of judgments will no doubt be carried on all the major media, so when they say, for instance, “you have poured out innocent blood, so God will give you blood to drink” (or something similar) and the oceans turn to blood, everyone will know who to blame.  “You have blasphemed.  The penalty for blasphemy is stoning,” and then 100-lb hailstones begin to fall (Job 38:22-23, Rev. 16:21).  No wonder they will celebrate when these two are killed.  That will be in the spring of 2027.

    6.  There will be a “Temple” in Jerusalem – a multi-religious sort of structure, probably on the Temple Mount, with customized wings for the major world religions and a central focal point with the Image of the Beast.  This is not related to the confirmation of the covenant.  I believe the “abomination of desolation” is human sacrifice.  It’s already going on; this will just bring it out into the open. 

    7.  Rev. 11:2, Rev. 11:3 and Rev. 13:5 all end at about the same time.  The true Jews have been kept safe in the wilderness and The Beast and his crowd (faux-Jews and other Gentiles) have been in control of Jerusalem.  At this point, that control ends.  The epic battle takes place:  the Battle of Gog and Magog.  While I used to think this battle began the final seven years, I changed my view when I compared Rev. 19:17-21 and Ezekiel 39:17-20.  I now think the battle (usually called the battle of Armageddon) ends the wrath of God.  This will be at about the time of Pentecost in 2027 and it maps to Joel 2, which Peter preached at Pentecost (Acts 2).  The war will be over 1,335 days after the covenant is confirmed (Daniel 12:12), that is, between June 3 and June 22, 2027. According to HebCal, Shavuot is June 11, 2027.

    8.  Please notice that the Seventy Weeks are for “thy people and thy holy city” and are about restoration, completion, healing, and preparation for the Millennial Reign.  Read Daniel 9:24 – it’s really not about war, tribulation or wrath.  Time will be needed to complete the Millennial Temple described in Ezekiel 40-41 (Note:  it will be AWESOME!!  Maybe we’ll get to help build it!).  So the idea that there are seven years of war, wrath, chaos, killing, plagues, tribulation, etc. etc. simply does not work.  Satan has had 6,000 years to mess up the earth as much as he could.  The damage needs to be repaired before the Millennium can begin. 

    9.  The feasts of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles will be ultimately fulfilled in the fall of 2030. Daniel’s 70th Week will end and the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ will begin on Shemini Atzeret, October 19, 2030. 

    I might be right, might be close, or might be way off. Only time will tell. But I’m ready … are you?