Category Archives: End of this universe

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 5 of 15, The Thief

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For the common thief to survey the situation, to “case” the property and its occupants and how they act, and when they come and go, and the nature of their dispositions, is a common thing. In some places they say there are more break-ins during the day than at night. Why? Everyone one is at work or at school during the day. Seeing and understanding that, the thief shows up as a delivery person, a meter reader, a moving crew. Sometimes the family has posted on line their upcoming overseas trip, and the bad guys feel safe showing up in a moving van in broad daylight, to kick in the door and empty perhaps empty a house. Anticipation of what the situation will really be, alters behavior … and often alters final results

We are receiving an astonishing view of things
which we otherwise would never
think of actually happening.

Many are taken back by what the apostle John says in 1John 5.

“He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.”
1Jn 5:10

I mean, who would call God a liar?

Further, part of that testimony God gives about His Son, concerns what God says He will yet do through the son. Sadly, we as men often hear what God says we should do or what will happen, and … then …. say to ourselves … I am not sure whether I believe that or not!

God makes provision to tell us astonishing things
which WILL BE, which we cannot
otherwise know!

“But as it is written,
“Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear,
Which didn’t enter into the heart of man,
These God has prepared for those who love him.” ”
1Cor 2:9

Well no man may have heard or seen or imagined these things, however Paul goes on to tell us, that God has told us about these things!

“But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”
1Cor 2:10

Wow! Paul goes on to say that no man can know what is in a man’s mind unless that man tells us what he is thinking. Similarly, Paul says that no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God reveals them, 1Cor 2:11. So what are we given in Scripture and the prophetic word? We are being given in these things gifts of staggering value.

“But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.”
1Cor 2:12

This inside knowledge can give us tremendous advantages.

And we want to say, prophecy is of no consequence?

What we know, or what we think we know about what will happen, almost always changes behavior one way or another. Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 4 of 15, The Weather

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It commonly true that whatever our expectations are of the future, will have a tendency to alter our behavior. An everyday example is the weather. If we think it might snow today, we will probably dress differently. Most of us will not be wearing Bermuda shorts or tank tops. It might mean we will take a coat along, and maybe a hat and some gloves.

On the other hand, if we are expecting 90 degree Fahrenheit temperatures today, coats and insulated pants will not probably come to mind, and few or none will make a point to drag them along wherever we are going. Expectations of what we think will happen commonly changes behavior.

Prophecy is INTENDED to change behavior.

It should never be considered as anything less than something intended to change expectations and thus behavior, so that we maybe better prepared for those things which are to come.

Micah chapter one has a dramatic description of
the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

“2 Hear, you peoples, all of you.
Listen, O earth, and all that is therein:
And let the Lord Yahweh be witness against you,
The Lord from his holy temple.
3 For, behold, Yahweh comes forth out of his place,
And will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4 The mountains melt under him,
And the valleys split apart,
Like wax before the fire,
Like waters that are poured down a steep place.”
Mic 1:2-4

Listen O earth it says. God is coming from His Holy temple to tread on the mountains of the earth, and the mountains and valley’s will melt like wax. God is coming to witness against us it says. But then comes the next verse, relating all of this to the sins of Jerusalem and Samaria in the 8th century BC.

“All this is for the disobedience of Jacob,
And for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the disobedience of Jacob?
Isn’t it Samaria?
And what are the high places of Judah?
Aren’t they Jerusalem?”
Mic 1:5

Ho! Ho! Ho! says the scoffing scholar.

What does this have to do with Judah and Israel of the 8th century BC? They would say this is merely metaphorical language expressing the Yahweh’s displeasure at their sins, and it symbolic of the desolations which will come down on them for their wrongs in the 8th century BC, so many would say.

Still, IF God was indeed personally coming from heaven to face men with their sins, and cause the mountains to melt, and MAKE MEN TO FACE THEIR SINS …?

That SHOULD change behavior!

Would it not?

And the men of Judah and Samaria WILL BE THERE
on that day, as will you and me!

Judah and Samaria’s sins did produce evil results in their days, as our sins also do today, and tomorrow and the next day. We will ALL be there somewhere on great and terrible day of the Lord, when the days of this present amnesty is over.

Further that should, and it is meant to, alter our behavior, our ethics.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 1 of 15, Noah

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Things were really bad around the middle of the third millennium BC. It was evidently much worse situation than what we have now, although at some time in the future, we also will reach that tipping point where God will no longer tolerate our wrongs and will call us all to account. In those misty days of the past, before the world-wide flood altered our mountains and hills and valleys, and our ecosystems from the fruitful past to near like things are today. At that time it says,

“5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.”
Gen 6:5-6

Then the Lord decided.

“Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.””
Gen 6:7

God even set a time.

“Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years.””
Gen 6:3

However, Noah found favor in God’s eyes, Gen 6:7.

“God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make an ark of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ark, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. ”
Gen 6:13-14

Oh yeah? God’s going to destroy
the world and all flesh?

Make a boat? For a world-wide
flood? Is that so?

It was only a prophecy. Well, who knows, many no doubt said. Others have talked about prophecies before, but no one has ever seen anything like that before? World-wide? I can’t even see that much water around here? You think so?

Even
so, for those
who believe what
God says, it changes
life and actions and directions,
all in good ways!

“By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
Heb 11:7

Prophecy changed Noah’s life.

It provided focus and direction, away from the way the world was living, which bears fruit even today, for we are his descendants, as are all of the races and tribes of men on the earth.

A parallel is drawn to our own times

“26 As it happened in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”
Lk 17:26-27

Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Kingdom of Glory is a Heavenly Country. 14 of 15

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One of the contrasts throughout all of Scripture is between this material earth and universe, and what is often called heaven.

First we need to recognize the “fall” of this creation.

Man’s part in initiating this separation, this fall, is in Genesis chapter 3. Man had been literally given a very good setup. Man is put in charge of “the garden” (which in Greek translation is paradeisos, or “paradise”, Genesis 2). This seems to almost to be a training field for man’s destiny to,

“… have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Gen 1:26

He does not have this yet! Evidently some restrictions were put on man, and one mentioned is that is he was NOT to eat of “the of the knowledge of good and evil,” Gen 2:16-17. Then man, by refusing God’s commands, joined the heavenly rebellion led by Satan, who also called the devil, and the serpent of old, Rev 12:9.

This of course has catastrophic results. Man is now to die, and death starts working in mankind. From now on there will be enmity between the seed of woman and the seed of the serpent, Gen 3:15. Specific curses are put on the woman, Gen 3:16; and then comes the curse on creation. “… cursed is the ground for your sake.” Gen 3:17. Without obedience to the Lord God, there is no more easy living for mankind.

“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Gen 3:19

Man still has a taste for that mastery of all of creation, Heb 2:6-8a; but it is not quite within his grasp, Heb 2:8b.

It is an epic tragedy, this bondage to decay which
dominates our present universe.

It is however not a permanent condition.

“that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.”
Rom 8:21-22

It goes on to say that we ourselves groan within us, thirsting for release from this bondage to decay, “waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.” Rom 8:23

This universe is now beyond redemption.

It will pass away with fire, with a roar, as the element melt with tremendous heat, on “the day of the Lord,” 2Pe 3:10-12.

But those who are willing will be redeemed.

By turning in faith to Jesus our Lord, repenting of our sins, being baptized in water for the forgiveness of our sins, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, etc.; and then living for Christ and not for ourselves.

Jesus kingdom is not from “here.”

As Jesus told Pilate,

“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.”
Jn 18:36

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 5 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is in many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it more fully discussed in “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

The Kingdom of Glory has Territory, 5 of 15

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“38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the darnel are the children of the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”
Mtt 13:38-39

The owner of this “field” is the man who sowed good seed “in his field,” Mtt 13:24. Jesus said plainly that He was that man, Mtt 13:37 Further it is more than this present world, for once again Jesus said,

… “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18

For Jesus is source of ALL things

“For by him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.”
Col 1:16

Everything is “for him.” If we serve Him we have only fulfilled our original purpose, and He is the only source of life.

“3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.”
Jn 1:3

You see, sin is not just an earthly thing.

In fact it started in the spiritual world before it started in the material world. It was a powerful renegade from the spiritual world who first seduced mankind into sin. I am speaking of Satan himself. The angels are not perfect, as has been noted repeatedly in these blogs and in my books.

“Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones;
Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight:”
Job 15:15

Or again,

“Behold, he puts no trust in his servants.
He charges his angels with error.”
Job 4:18

The angels, although much more powerful than men 2Pe 3:11, are moral being like us. Evidently most of the angels are still faithful to God. When Revelation describing the war in heaven in symbolic terms, it puts it this way.

“3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.”
Rev 12:3-4

We are told clearly that this great red dragon is “… is called the devil and Satan,. …” Rev 12:9. So Rev 12:3-4 is telling us that Satan was able to draw a third of the angels in all creation into his revolt. That means that two-thirds of them are still faithful to God.

Faithful … but not perfect beings!

And Jesus is not just reconciling mankind to himself.

“19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; 20 and through him to reconcile ALL things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.”
Col 1:19-20

Jesus is the true Master of the Universe.

His territory includes ALL that exists, Mtt 28:18, both this universe and the one to come.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 3 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is in many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 3 of 5

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it is more fully discussed “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 2 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 2 of 5

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it fully discussed “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

Psalm 46, A Synopsis of Revelation, Part 8

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“Come, see Yahweh’s works,
What desolations he has made in the earth.”
Psa 46:8

That is a subject of many passages in Scripture. You could take the verses of the seven trumpets of Revelation 8. Seven trumpets are given to seven angels. These trumpets seem to be in response to the prayers of the saints for help.

There is more information about the end of this universe in both Prophecy Principles and in Revealing the Christian Age. Available from your bookseller.

“The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.”
Rev 8:4

Special judgments are ordained for the earth within time, at a special point in time in the future. The trumpets begin to sound.

“The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. One third of the earth was burnt up,a and one third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”
Rev 8:7

Oh what a blow, but that is only the start, six other trumpets follow. In my book Revealing the Christian Age I call them “Trumpets of Warning.” You could take this verse also of the seven last plagues, of which it says,

“One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb’s bride.” ”
Rev 21:9

Seven bowls of wrath are in Revelation 16. If you are reading along in Revelation a certain passage and you say to yourself, “Well that sounds like the end of the world,” then you are probably reading the end of a vision of the Christian Age.

“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.”
Psa 46:9a

At the last huge conflicts rage all over the globe. God’s people have been living at rest, not in fortifications, or bunkers, but in “camps.” Satan is released and deceives the nations, represented by Gog and Magog. Then in a sudden sweep Gog and Magog rise in war against Christians, both Jew and Gentile.

“8 … Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; … 9 They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. …”
Rev 20:8-9

Our Lord obviously wanted us to compare the two different invasions described in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. The final invasion is described in more detail in Ezekiel chapter 38. Troops from “many peoples” are led by Gog and Magog, Ezek 38:8. This is when,

“… the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.”
Ezek 38:20

That is obviously the end of this earth.

“Fire came down out of heaven from God,
and devoured them”.
Rev 20:9b

Thus is summarized Jesus Second Coming, and the literal “last battle” of Revelation chapter 19,

“… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,”
2Thes 1:7

Then will wars cease. Only those willing to live in peace will be in that exalted final kingdom in heaven.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Psalm 46, A Synopsis of Revelation, Part 7

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So Scripture pictures an open revolt against God, and His authority, and ALL rule and authority on earth. This is one of the main subjects of the book of Revelation, but is probably first pictured clearly in Psalm 2.




See the books
Prophecy Principles
and
Revealing the Christian Age
for more information on the end of this universe. Available through your bookseller.

“Why do the nations rage,
And the peoples plot a vain thing?”
Psa 2:1

So it is the “nations,” plural that are in an uproar, are raging against God and His commandments, and it is “peoples” plural that are plotting against God! Further it is also the kings and presidents and dictators of the earth taking a stand against God Almighty.

“2 The kings of the earth take a stand,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against Yahweh, and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let’s break their bonds apart,
And cast away their cords from us.””
Psa 2:2-3

They want their connections to Almighty God ended, their bonds to Him ended. Historically, such a wide open revolt against God has never happened! It is clearly pictured in the book of Revelation. This is, indeed, insanity in the extreme. Clearly they do not understand about God that,

“14 If he set his heart on himself,
If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath;
15 All flesh would perish together,
And man would turn again to dust.”
Job 34:14-15

As we have seen, this world wide raging against God is also pictured in Psalm 46.

So how does an Almighty God respond
to this insanity?

“4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh.
The Lord will have them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his anger,
And terrify them in his wrath:”
Psa 2:4-5

In Psalm 46 this is pictured as,

“He lifted his voice,
and the earth melted.” Psa 46:6c

That is a summary of those chapters 19 and 20 in the book of Revelation.

There were some preliminaries of course. Trumpets of warning included famine, sword and plagues turning the sea to blood, and more, Revelation chapters 6 to 8. Other things are listed in Revelation chapters 14 to 16. Remember always that Revelation is a series of parallel visions, with the final visions placing more emphasis on the end things. David speaks of some of these things in Psalm 65.

“Who stills the roaring of the seas,
The roaring of their waves,
And the turmoil of the nations.”
Psa 65:7

Jesus says,

“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;”
Lk 21:25

These are signs of the end.

“But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
Lk 21:28

Then will come the earth melting

“… and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
2Pe 3:10

But it will be alright for God’s chosen ones.

“Yahweh of Hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Psa 46:7

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901