How – The Last Days – Song of Victory!

How

How can I feel love when I’ve never known it?
How can I have hope when this world offers none?
How can I rejoice in this place filled with sorrow?
Where darkness has blocked out the sun?
How can I find peace when my mind is so restless?
How can I be strong when surrounded by fears?
How can I be comforted when no one is with me
To hold me and wipe away these tears?

You don’t have to be alone or live in fear, for he is always here.
If you listen for his voice, you’ll hear him calling, drawing you near.
Every tear you’re crying, from a heart that’s dying, gives him unending pain.
How he longs to hold you, love you and protect you in his arms again.

How can I hear God when he seems so silent?
Why would he bother with me anyway?
How can I believe what I can’t see before me?
What if my doubts get in the way?
Life is so confusing; I’m simply reacting;
Shackled by anger and bound up by hate.
Am I past forgiveness? How can he still love me?
Perhaps it is simply too late.

Never will he leave you, nor will he forsake you. Grace is the key
Unlocking all your hatred, quelling all your doubts, and setting you free.
Come to know the One who brings a joy so pure. Know that he loves you so.
He will hold you close and warm you with his love and never let you go.
Listen to His voice, he calls to you. In the darkest night, he’ll see you through.
It is by your choice, to dwell in sin. Just give up your fight and let him in.
If you will let His Holy Spirit guide you, you’ll find a faith so strong.
Living with His Holy Presence inside you,
You’ll find the joy that you’ve searched for so long.

Open up my eyes; let me see your will.
Transform a dying heart.
Let me hear your words of grace and comfort still,
And never let them part.
Now I can hear God, I’m seeing his purpose.
Now I feel love igniting my soul!
Never have I felt this joy that I’m feeling!
Never have I felt so whole!
I don’t have to be alone or live in fear,
For he is always here,
Now I listen for his voice, I hear him calling,
Drawing me near.
Now I know the One who brings a joy so pure.
I know he loves me so.
He will hold me close and warm me with his love
And never let me go.

Revelation: The Last Days

There are many (myself included) who believe that we are living in the last days. The Bible tells us clearly that, eventually, God will put a stop to the insanity of this world and usher in a new era of peace that will last 1000 years. (Revelation 20.) This will be followed by a final end to all that is evil and the ushering in of a new heaven and a new earth.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Revelation 21:1-4

But before this return of Paradise, the Bible warns that there will be upheaval such as the world has never seen before. In Daniel Chapter 9, Daniel is visited by the angel Gabriel, who had come to explain a very disturbing vision that Daniel had. Here is what Gabriel told Daniel:

“A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One — comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.

“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Daniel 9:24-27

Based on previous information in Daniel, we know that the “seventy sets of seven” is 7 weeks of years, or 490 years. Further, Gabriel breaks it up as follows: 7 weeks (49 years) plus 62 (434 years) and 1 final week. He also said that at the end of 7+62 weeks, (69 weeks) the Anointed One (Jesus) would be killed. In Nehemiah 2, a decree was given to rebuild Jerusalem, and work began. And just as Gabriel said, the times were perilous, and the workers were constantly harassed by their enemies.

Here is where it gets even more interesting. Based on the day the decree was given in Nehemiah 2, scholars have calculated, based on the Jewish calendar of that time, the event that happened at the end of those 483 years. It was the exact day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was hailed as the Messiah – the day we refer to as Palm Sunday.¹ We know that just days after that, Jesus was crucified as the perfect Passover lamb and then resurrected. Finally, the Roman empire came in and destroyed the city and the Temple in 70 AD, just as Gabriel said.²

Gabriel put a break between the first 69 weeks and the final week. This is the gap that we call the Age of Grace – a time during which Jews and non-Jews would have the opportunity to follow Jesus, accept his gift of grace, and receive salvation. The Age of Grace will end, however, when the final 7-year period of time begins.

This final 7-year period of time is known as the “Tribulation”, and it is referenced several other times in the Bible. In Daniel 9, Gabriel goes on to say that during that time of upheaval, the world will fall under the control of a world leader who will sign a peace agreement for seven years, but he will break the agreement after 3 ½ years. This deceptive leader is most commonly referred to as the Antichrist. Here are a few descriptors of this man:

He will rise out of a reconstituted Roman empire (Daniel 7:23-25)
He will rise to political power through a platform of peace (Daniel 8:23-25)
He will be promoted by another person, (a spiritual leader) commonly referred to as the “false prophet”. (Revelation 13:11-12)
He will unite the world under one world-wide government (Revelation 13:14-17, Revelation 17:12-13)
He will openly slander God and will wage war against Christians (Revelation 13:5-8)
He will require all people on earth to take a mark on their hand or foreheads in order to buy or sell goods. This mark is referred to as “the mark of the beast”, and those who take the mark will sacrifice their eternal salvation. (Revelation 13:16-17)
His name will calculate out to the number 666 – probably based on the ancient Hebrew methodology for numeric name calculation. (Revelation 13:18)
He will receive a fatal wound but will recover, thus attempting to mimic the death and resurrection of Jesus. (Revelation 13:3)
He will have an image made of himself that can speak (Revelation 13:14-15)
He will eventually declare himself to be god (2 Thessalonians 2:4)

Ultimately, this seven-year period will be a time of unprecedented horror marked by economic and social upheaval, cataclysmic “natural” disasters such as earthquakes and meteor showers, and tyranny and persecution by a deceptive world leader. Jews and Christians who are living during this period will be put to death for their beliefs, and others will be forced into the mindless servitude of this satanically ordained man.

What could possibly allow all of this to happen? What would cause the whole world to unite and blindly follow this new leader? I believe it is the rapture of believers. The rapture, as we now call it, is highly debated among people of faith, but it is discussed in the Bible. The two clearest mentions of the rapture are these:

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
1 Corinthians 15:51-53

There is also precedence for this found in the man of Enoch.

Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
Genesis 5:23-24

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—’he disappeared, because God took him.’ For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.
Hebrews 11:5

There is also debate among Christians as to when the rapture will happen. Some believe it will happen before the seven-year tribulation, some believe it will be about half-way through that time period, and still others believe that it won’t happen until the end of the tribulation. I believe that it will be prior to the tribulation and that it will open the door for the antichrist to step onto the world stage.

Consider this. In an instant, millions will disappear from the earth — cars with no drivers, planes with no pilots, spouses waking to find an empty side of the bed, young children gone, people disappearing in front of your eyes…. This would certainly cause mass panic and would provide the perfect opening for the antichrist to step in and offer hope in the midst of chaos. But I have several other reasons for believing this, a few of which are listed below with additional links in the resource section.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:34-36 that no one would know the exact day or hour. If it were in the middle or end, we would only need to count 3.5 years or 7 years from the signing of the peace treaty to know.
In Revelation 3:10, Jesus says, “’Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.’” This suggests that we simply won’t be here.
In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul is confronting the misinformation of some who believed the tribulation had already begun. He reminds them that before that day, the “man of lawlessness”, another name for the Antichrist, would be revealed. He also said that this wouldn’t happen until the one who is holding him back is removed. The one holding him back is the Holy Spirit, who currently indwells believers. Once believers are removed, so is the Holy Spirit.
In Revelation 1-3, Jesus is talking to the churches before transitioning to the Jewish people for the final 7-year period. Revelation 4:1 tells us that John sees a door opening, and he is told to “Come up here”. From this point on, the church is not discussed in Revelation as God deals with the Jewish people. Yes, there will be tribulation saints – those non-Jews who come to Christ during the tribulation – but they appear later and are described differently.
The Bible refers to believers as “the bride of Christ”. If you look at the Jewish wedding customs of Jesus’ day, it suggests a pre-tribulation rapture. (Please see “What the Jewish Wedding teaches us about the Rapture” in the resources section.)

Although a pre-tribulation rapture seems to be the most logical option to me, I do not believe that this should become a point of contention among believers. Believers should make every attempt to stand together over the truth of the salvation that only Jesus can provide.

Are we living in the end times? We saw earlier that Jesus told his followers that no one knew the day or the time. However, He also said that we should be alert for the signs of the times such that they would know when His return was near. With this in mind, there have been several key events in the last several decades that point to our generation as being the final one. Below is a brief summary of a few with additional links in the Resource section for further study.

False prophets and false Christs (Matthew 24:3): The last several years have seen the rise and fall of many “would be” Messiahs and false religions. In 2 Corinthians 11:14b, Paul warns us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” Satan doesn’t attack the church with horns and a pitchfork. He comes in doing “good works” and talking about things that sound very good and righteous on the surface — then uses them to destroy those he has deceived.

The New Age movement and other similar “gospels” have taken a strong hold in many cultures, including our own. They present themselves, very convincingly, as “gospels of enlightenment”. They encourage well-meaning people to find greatness and power within themselves and to use that for the good and welfare of society as a whole. At its very core, however, this is a very dangerous false religion, because it relies on the individual to “earn” their way to heaven and find their own “inner peace” through good works and rituals. It makes “gods” out of mere humans and eliminates the need for the true God. Furthermore, the rituals involved are often designed to invoke demonic presence in the person’s life. Once that presence has taken hold of its victim, it can lead to a variety of mental health issues and maladaptive behaviors, and it can cause the victim to be blinded to truth. Any “peace” that is found is temporary, because it is not coming from the only One who can give lasting peace and joy.

In conjunction with all of this, the popularity of magical arts and witchcraft is also on the rise and is becoming a popular hobby among our youth. Satan is attacking our children and seeks to destroy them.

Wars (Matthew 24:6-7): There has been non-stop war throughout the world for the last several decades, and tensions in the Middle East (where the Bible says the final battle will be located) are heating up quickly. The Bible warns us that, during this period of war, there will be much talk of peace and even some movement toward it, yet the talk will end in destruction. (1 Thess. 5:3) “Peace talks” are rampant throughout the world as human leaders attempt to solve the Middle Eastern dilemma. These peace talks, combined with the continual threat of war, will inevitably lead to the development of the one-world government of the Antichrist and the signing of his false peace treaty.

Famines and Earthquakes (Matthew 24:7): In spite of technological advances, famine continues to spread throughout the world. During the last year alone, food shortages have caused numerous outbreaks of violence, and food prices are skyrocketing. In addition, the number and intensity of earthquakes has increased in the last century to the point where there seems to be at least one somewhere every week. Seismologists are predicting that there are worse quakes yet to come, even in areas that have not previously seen this type of activity.

Godlessness (2 Timothy 3:1-5): This passage speaks for itself.

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
2 Timothy 3:1-5

Perversion of the Gospel of Christ and Apathy in the church (1Timothy 4:1-3): Many churches today are accepting practices that the Bible very strictly prohibits and are denying Christ as the sole path to salvation. This is a direct deception, and it is satanic in origin. Remember, Satan seeks to destroy and will use any means possible to achieve his goal.

“Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.”

1 Timothy 4:1-3

Physical return of the Jews who were scattered all over the world to Israel (Ezekiel 20:34): Israel was made a nation again in 1948.

Return of the formerly “dead” language of Hebrew to Israel (Zephaniah 3:9): After 1948, the Hebrew language was brought back and is now spoken throughout Israel.

Increased Knowledge and Travel (Daniel 12:4): The last century has seen an increase in scientific discoveries and advancements in technology that is exponential in nature. Included in these “advances” are the “biochip” technology that would be necessary to allow for the mark of the beast, the instant communication network that would allow for world-wide communication and ultimately domination, and even the creation of 3-dimensional holographic images that can move and talk like a real person. (See comments on the Antichrist above.) The Bible also predicted that this knowledge would bring about denial of God as the creator of the world. (2 Peter 3:5). Highly flawed scientific theories are very pervasive in our culture today as attempts to remove God from the creation equation continue.

Rebuilding of the Jewish Temple (Revelation 11:1-2, Daniel 9:26-27): In 1987, something called the “Temple Movement” began preparing for the reconstruction of the new Jewish Temple. All of the items needed to construct the temple have been gathered, the utensils necessary for the rituals are made, and the priests have been trained.³ In essence – everything necessary to get the temple up and running has been completed, and they are simply waiting for permission to build. It is possible that the 7-year peace agreement of the Antichrist will include a stipulation that allows for the rebuilding of this temple in order to be acceptable by Israel.

Plans for a One-World Government (Revelation 13:7 & 17:13). Many agencies are currently in existence as direct precursors to such a government. These include The United Nations, World Trade Organization, International Criminal Court, UN peacekeeping, the Trilateral Commission, and the Council on Foreign Relations, just to name a few. These agencies are not quiet about their agenda but will proudly proclaim that they exist to bring about a “New World Order” and unification and cooperation. Although it often sounds like positive steps toward peace, keep in mind that the Antichrist will come to power through a political agenda of peace.

Some VERY Interesting Math!

I recently heard a sermon from Pastor Brett Meador from Athey Creek church in Oregon in which he presented some VERY interesting math. (See link below to watch the entire sermon.) To see this, we need to go back to the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. Despite being very clear instructions by God as to what they needed to do in order to be blessed, the Israelites rebelled against God and engaged in violent and despicable idol worship. They also failed to give their land rest every seven years. We know now that this is a healthy thing that allows the land to heal and produce better crops, but Israel ignored this causing harm to the land. In 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 we can read how God punished them, as he said he would, by allowing them to be taken into captivity for 70 years to Babylon – one year for every Sabbath they failed to honor. This captivity began in 605 BC. At the end of 70 years, Cyrus the Great released the people to go home to Israel, but most were living comfortably in Babylon and had no desire to return. Further, they failed to turn from their sin. As a result, Ezekiel 4:3-6 tells us that God extended their judgement for an additional 360 years where they would not be blessed by God. (This number was determined by numbers of years they failed to honor the sabbath rest for their land. But after 360 years, nothing happened! Israel was still scattered and they were still ruled by other nations. Was Ezekiel wrong?

The answer is found in Leviticus 26:21-28. Here, God warns the Israelites that if they still do not accept God’s correction, he would multiply their punishment by seven times. If you multiply 360 years X 7, you get 2620 Jewish years, or 907,200 additional days after the initial 70 years of captivity. (Both Jewish and Babylonian calendars were lunar calendars of 360 days.). This brings us to two interesting dates.

Cyrus the Great released Israel after the 70 years on July 23, 536 BC. If we add 907,200 years of addition curse on the Jews to this date, we come to May 14, 1948, the very day that the League of Nations gave the Jews the land of Israel. They were finally an independent nation once again. That’s interesting. But there’s more. The final siege on Israel by Babylon occurred on in 586 BC when the Temple was finally destroyed and the last of the Israelites were taken captive. 90 years from that date takes us to August 16, 517 BC. If we add 907,200 days to that, we come to June 7, 1967 – the day that Israel took Jerusalem and the Temple Mount during the 6-day War. Although the acting Israeli relinquished the Temple Mount, Israel retained Jerusalem, the city where God had placed his name. (2 Chronicles 6:6, 2 Kings 21:7, 1 Kings 14:21) This is also very interesting. And to me, this suggests that the God who knows the future truly authored the Bible!

Doesn’t it seem like we should be watching closely for return of our Lord?

These are just a few of the indicators that we are most likely living in the last age. I will frequently hear commentary on this topic by those who say, “People have always said that theirs is the last age, and they are always wrong.” To that, I have two comments. First, never before have all of the requirements for the literal fulfillment of the ancient prophecies (including Israel as a nation) been in place as they are now. Second, the Bible predicted those comments as well!

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
2 Peter 3:3-4

Jesus will return. The seven-year tribulation will happen. This is not an allegory or spiritual falling away, but, like the previously discussed 69 weeks of years, it will be literally fulfilled. The world will see catastrophe that has never before been seen, and life as we know it will change forever. It will truly be a terrifying time of cosmic upheaval, war, disease, persecution, and death.

But for the believer, the Bible promises us hope…

Imagine for a moment that you are lying in bed one night. You are exhausted from a long day at work and are somewhat depressed from the contents of the evening news. You have said your evening prayers, remembering the friend who is dying of cancer, the family that is losing their son to drugs, and the neighbors that will soon lose their home to foreclosure because of a business deal gone wrong. You sigh as you think about all that is wrong in the world, and you whisper a prayer of thanks that you have found peace in Jesus Christ. All of a sudden, you hear what sounds like a trumpet blast. You sit up and listen for a moment. Then you hear your name being called. The voice sounds like rushing waters, yet it is the sweetest, most loving voice that you could ever imagine hearing. At that moment, you feel yourself rushing Heavenward toward the beautiful voice. You feel no fear at your ascent, only pure and total peace and love. As you reach the source of that voice, you see others around you – old friends and loved ones who had passed away years ago as well as those whom you just spoke with that morning. You are filled with a joy so complete that you can imagine nothing better. Then, you see Jesus. You are face to face with the One who gave up his very life for you, and it is the most beautiful and compassionate face you have ever seen…

Soon, Jesus will call home his own. Will you be among them?

Related Devotional

What If the End Really Is Near?

Resources

“The Proof is in the Prophecy” sermon by Brett Meador of Athey Creek Church.

“Arguments for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture” from Relevant Bible Teaching.com. Arguments for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture

“What the Jewish Wedding teaches us about the Rapture” – This is an interesting analogy of the traditional Jewish Wedding to the placement of the rapture. It also suggests pre-tribulation timing. What the Jewish Wedding teaches us about the Rapture

Prophecy Update – provides an overview of “end times” prophecy and provides links to the news of the day as it relates to those prophecies. Prophecy Update

“Questions about the End Times” from Got Questions.org: Questions about the End Times

For a full discussion of the whole book of Revelation, including how Revelation 2 and 3 predicted the periods of the church age from that day to our present, please check out these discussions by Ray Stedman: Revelation: The End – and a New Beginning

Monthly Prophecy Updates from Athey Creek Church: Interpreting present day events in light of scripture.

The book “Understanding Bible Prophecy for Yourself” by Tim LaHaye is a good introductory course to the history and basics of Biblical prophecy.

Next Article – Worthy: Heaven & Hell

Citations:

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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