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Jesus Christ Himself
made it absolutely plain that the last days of human government
would be the most violent and dangerous of all times. He said,
"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.
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." (Matthew
24:21-22,24) He was speaking particularly of the seven years
that He called the "Great Tribulation." The word "Great" sets
these days apart from all other tribulations that have ever
occurred. These seven years must be preceded by the signs that
have been prophesied and the preparation for the One World
System of the Antichrist and his false trinity of diabolical
evil. Isaiah wrote of these days and said they would be so evil
that a man could only save himself and that only by the ultimate
action of desperation. I believe we are well into the beginning
of the end.
Apostle Paul wrote
of these days also and described a list of characteristics that
would prevail. He wrote by the Holy Ghost, "This know also, that
in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without
natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady,
high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away." (II Timothy 3:1-5) Let’s use these characteristics
to understand the day we are facing until the end. As evil and
dark as the world is going to be before the Rapture, that
darkness will intensify many times over during the time after
the Rapture. Most Bible scholars that study the end times
believe that several years will occur between the Rapture and
the beginning of the seven years of Great Tribulation.
Let’s consider the
things that may occur during those intervening years:
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The temple must be
built on the Temple Mount.
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The War of Gog and
Magog marching against Israel and experiencing terrible defeat
for the armies of Gog’s coalition will occur at some time
before the Rapture or after the Rapture.
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The city of Babylon
must be rebuilt and this margin of time would be excellent.
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The establishing of
a powerful government on an international level that the
Antichrist could take the reigns could develop.
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Israel will need
seven years to clean up the carcasses from the War of Gog and
Magog. Since their presence as a government in Jerusalem will
end at the three and one-half years of the seven year period,
they will need an additional three and one-half years before
the Great Tribulation begins.
The Rapture of the
overcoming saints will create a crisis of indescribable emotion
for this entire universe. Attitudes and moods will take on a
vengeance and hatred beyond description. Hatred for Israel will
reach the explosion level. I believe the Gog and Magog attack
will happen immediately after the Rapture. The mood of the world
will be excellent for a last ditch effort to wipe the Jews off
the face of the earth. Of course, it will fail and hatred for
them will be even greater. It will force the Seven Year Treaty
that prepares the way for the seven years ordained by God for
His last judgment of human government. Three and one-half years
between the Rapture and the beginning of these seven years is a
good possibility. It certainly could vary a few months.
The characteristics
of these dark years around these coming events will be ominous.
Paul calls them "perilous times." Love for self has already
become the mood of our world, but it will get worse.
Covetousness, a passion for everything that flesh desires, is
swiftly becoming the god of this world. Men and women are proud
and boastful beyond measure. Even the church world has become a
world of the grandiose and mammoth and is utterly absent of the
piousness and simplicity that is beautifully pictured in
Scripture. People think nothing of blaspheming God, the church,
the Holy Bible, or anything else.
Parents and children
alike are rebellious and self-centered. Most parents offer no
strong discipline to guide their children in developing
self-discipline. The parents are more at fault for the breakdown
than the children. A society where children have lost the family
concept and respect cannot end anywhere but in a bi-sexual world
of confusion. The words "unthankful" and "unholy" are perfect in
describing the mood we face every day. "Without natural
affection" is evident by the constant murdering of the most
innocent of lives, our unborn babies. This could only happen
because the world has lost its head. Read these words,
"trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers
of those that are good." The past election season was a battle
between what is left of American values (not much) and the
hatred of anything that resembles Biblical morals or our right
to even believe them. That war is continuing right now.
The whole society,
even the conservatives, is close to being as guilty of these
characteristics as the humanist and liberals. The apostle added,
"traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than
lovers of God." There is an explosion of these facts permeating
our world, churched and unchurched. The sacred things of the
past are quickly disappearing. Pleasure has become a god. The
church certainly has a "form of godliness, but denying the
power." That is the acceptable theology. Miracles are rare
because the form has robbed us of the glory.
No one can deny that
we are at the conclusion of all things and that the most
exciting time of human history is at hand. We are about to enter
the last great prophetic period where long anticipated events
will occur. The Lord will shortly appear in the heavens and call
His Bride up to meet Him. While we celebrate, the world will pay
the price of offending holiness. I’m excited about returning to
this earth to help the King of Kings establish His kingdom on
this earth. "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of
the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk
2:14)
Joseph R. Chambers |
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