The Return of Christ

Dear Friend,

In recent days the entire world witnessed a unique moment in our time. An American minister grabbed the attention of all by using mathematical calculations and the Bible to try and predict the end of days and the return of Christ. By his calculations Saturday May 21, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. was to be that day and hour.

His prediction prompted skeptics and believers alike to spend huge chunks of time to blog about it while newspapers wrote detailed articles and television news programs spent valuable air time on the subject. All had an opinion. A few took the time to recall that in just a few short months, the year had brought earthquakes, many tornadoes, a volcanic eruption, and a major tsunami/nuclear crisis to Japan.

One thing is important to remember- Christ Himself declared NO ONE knows the exact hour or day when His return will be, only the Father.

Can the days we are living in now be likened to the conditions that Scripture tells us will foreshadow the return of Christ?

Let's look at Luke 17:26-30

"And as it was in the days of Noe (Noah), so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man."
"They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all."         

Yes, just like any other day for the unbelieving.

"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;"
"But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all."
"Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."

And to the wise:
"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1Thessalonians 5:4

The word Rapture itself is not found in the Bible but is used by Christians to describe a certain event in Scripture, meaning to be
caught away or to be caught up. It has been conveniently used to avoid repeating the whole verse whenever speaking of this event:

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:16-17

Some have not completely understood the term Rapture
and
are unsure as to the order the Bible says this will occur. Many mistakenly believe this occurs before the great tribulation. They feel that God has not appointed the Church to wrath and use the scripture verse found in 1^st Thessalonians below to erroneously prove their point.

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,"
1 Thessalonians 5:9

But the tribulation is not the wrath of God which is reserved for unrepentant sinners in judgement.

True believers are still here during the great tribulation though Christ warns us there will be many false prophets and false Christs. The below verse should help make this clear to us.

"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not."
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
"Behold, I have told you before."    Matthew 24:21-25

This short period of the great tribulation is that time when Satan will be loosed from the pit to deceive the nations (Rev. 20), and then the end will come. The Rapture occurs with the Sound of a great Trumpet and the Lord will descend with a shout!

The unsaved have been living in darkness. To them, His coming will be as a thief in the night. They are not expecting Him!

2Peter 3:10
  "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

Many will be caught unaware at His coming, but all will know as every eye shall see Him.

Revelation 1:7
  "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

This occurs at Christ's second advent, at the last day, the end of the world.

Matthew 24:29-30
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

It is after the tribulation that Christ returns to gather (rapture) His elect.

Mark 13:27
  "And then shall he send His angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."

When Christ returns on that last day, it will be to raise up believers to everlasting life and unbelievers to judgement.

1Corinthians 15:52
  "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

For the world, the Great Tribulation period will come either as judgment or as a test of our faith.

2Timothy 3:13
  "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."

We are commanded to watch so that we are not deceived.

"And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them."                                                     Luke 21:8

Babylon

God's Judgment Against Sinful Man?

"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, Babylon THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:5

Dear Friend,

Have you ever wondered who or what is Mystery, Babylon that the Bible speaks of? It is often described by Bible scholars as the world of false religion. The meaning of Babylon means confusion. Previous generations were of the popular opinion that it was surely Roman Catholicism. Many say the same thing today. Others say Babylon is part of the church which will fall away into apostasy. Others add that it is God's judgment against sinful man.

God's true Church is made up of all who have been born again of God's Spirit (those who by the grace of God have been regenerated).The false church (the imitation), made up of unregenerate man, has always been around but has rapidly gained strength in these last days.

Unsaved man, ruling in the churches, is preaching an overwhelming number of false gospels made to fool and to deceive the unsuspecting. These false prophets teach doctrines of devils and every unclean spirit.

Jeremiah 23:11
"For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD."

God gives us a description of this apostate church found in Revelation 18:2

"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."

Babylon, the Great Spiritual Harlot

This harlot or whore mimics that which is righteous and holy.

In Rev. 17:1-2 God speaks of a great Harlot that sitteth upon many waters,

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Rev. 17:3-5

3 "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."

When we look at the next verse, God tells us she has an appearance of Christianity. She has a form of Godliness but hasn't experienced the power thereof, nor does she have the Grace of God and has never known regeneration. In other words, she (the apostate church) is this woman which is blind and poor yet thinks she can see.

4 "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:"
5 "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

Man has replaced God's true Gospel of Grace with the Abomination (anything man must do for Salvation is a false gospel).

The Law has shown us how much we need a Savior, but man will not come to Christ. Is this not the Abomination? Man trusts not in the Grace of God but in his own Works. We are told in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 God will send unbelievers strong delusion because they have not believed the truth preached in love.

Free grace is the great enemy of sinful, works oriented man. Man makes war with the fact he must come to God His way, through the Cross of Salvation. A Works gospel denies that we are already bought with a price by Christ.

God's true Gospel of Grace is through Jesus Christ alone….apart from the Law and the works of man.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 is in reference to this unsaved church (Babylon) who will be deceived and goes into apostasy.

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." 2 Thess 2:3-4

Who is that man of sin but any and all who are without respect to God and His Law. Listening only to the counsels of their own hearts, they are as gods believing themselves capable of judging between good and evil.

Christ warned us in the last days our enemies would be, 'of your own household'. Our enemies are hidden right in the church, the household of faith.

When the testimony of the faithful is completed, Satan will be loosed from the pit and lead the nations, as a ferocious beast, to come against the camp of the saints.

Let us turn to Revelation 11:7 "And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."

The Book of Revelation is steeped in symbolic imagery. 'They shall overcome them and kill them' speaks of the time when the voice of God's prophets (His children), declaring the true Gospel message, will no longer be heard in the world's churches. They have been silenced. God's true message of Salvation is rejected in the congregations led by unsaved man.

As we see the signs approaching we are told to flee from Babylon, the Lord's vengeance is on her!

" Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence." Jer. 51:6

Revelation 18:4 may signify the last irresistible, effectual call into everlasting glory.

"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

The time when iniquity will abound, or comes to a full, coincides to the time when Satan will be let loose. Satan was destroyed at the Cross but will be released for a 'little season' at the end time. (Rev. 20:3)

Daniel 8:23-25
"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up."

24 "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people."
25 "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many."

Smooth words which offend none is the message of peace preached in today's churches. None are convicted, none are alarmed, none are called to war against the enemy of our souls. Many are unconcerned….they sit as if in peace and safety. The stage has been set.

The time is coming that God's entire spiritual Church will be built and all remaining in the apostate church (Babylon) will be destroyed.

Jeremiah 51:1
"Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind."

We come to one more question many still wonder about:

Is Rome the Mystery, Babylon of scripture?

Let us read some history concerning the early days of Rome. The Web Bible Encyclopedia tells us:

The literal Babylon was the beginner and supporter of tyranny and idolatry.

Rome eventually succeeded to the power of old Babylon after conquering the Macedonians and it was her method to adopt the worship of the false deities she had conquered.

She became the successor of all the Babylonian idolatry that was introduced into it by the immediate successors of Babylon and consequently of all the idolatry of the earth. Rome pagan and papal is regarded as one power.

The O.T. kingdom of Babylon prefigured the apostate, visible church (Mystery Babylon, the great) which God will bring judgment upon prior to Christ's return.

Revelation 17:18
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

Surely, Roman Catholicism follows man (known as a Pope) and not the God of the Bible. Obviously, she is and always has been a huge part of Mystery Babylon, but she is not alone.

Presently, more and more of those in Protestant denominations are following this influence which originated out of Rome. Many claim that they are saved yet do not possess God given faith that Salvation is by Grace alone through Jesus Christ. (God's work of Salvation in us from beginning to end). Deception, going hand in hand with confusion, has crept into the mainstream Churches. It is the lie that is thriving, not the Gospel of Christ.

Let us review Revelation 13:3-9
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."

This could only be Satan who was bound at Christ's victory of the Cross. He will be let loose again for a short time at the end to deceive the nations.

Revelation 13:4
"And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"

The great deceiver will manifest himself in man.

The dragon (Satan) gives his power to the false prophet, spiritually a 'beast'.

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Things have not changed since the beginning of time.

Would you recognize Babylon?

Have you believed the lie, "surely, you will not die"?

Let us make certain we are following Christ, and not the 'tares' planted by Satan.

No friend, without Christ we are capable of being easily deceived. Many are on that road leading to Babylon.

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jeremiah 10:3

Are you a sinner? Then God is talking to you.

Have you heard His call? Hearken unto it.

Christ tells us, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 5:32