Terminus

Terminus America’s Downfall & The End of the Age

Joseph L. Williams

Copyright © 2015 by Feed the Hunger. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® Printed in the USA

Terminus America’s Downfall & The End of the Age

Joseph L. Williams

Table of Contents Introduction Day 1: Staying Prepared Day 2: The Primary Point Day 3: Prophecy Teachers Day 4: Normalcy Bias Day 5: Proof Texting and Confirmation Bias Day 6: The First Amendment Day 7: The Not-So-Supreme Court Day 8: Is America in the Bible?

Day 9: What’s Next for America Day 10: The Prophecy-to-Judgment Gap Day 11: My Message to American Christians Day 12: I’m a Prepper, You’re a Prepper Day 13: God’s 7,000-Year Plan?

Day 14: The Final 3,000 Years?

Day 15: The Spring Feasts Day 16: The Fall Feasts Day 17: Replacement Theology Day 18: The Fig Tree Day 19: The Final Generation Day 20: And Then the End Will Come Day 21: The Timing of the Rapture (Part One) Day 22: The Timing of the Rapture (Part Two) Day 23: The 70th Week of Daniel Day 24: Great Tribulation Day 25: The Two Witnesses Day 26: The Revelation of John Day 27: Is Islam an End-Times Player?

Day 28: The Mahdi Day 29: The Muslim Jesus Day 30: Apostasy, Now and Later Day 31: I Don’t Know You Conclusion

5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69

Introduction The spoon-feeding of the American Church on all Biblical topics needs to come to an end. This is especially true with End Times prophecy. Do not accept at face value what you have been hearing from American prophecy teachers for decades. Much of it is sensationalized and catered in such a way that you hear what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. Much is also focused on escapism and America’s supposed favored status in God’s eyes.

It has been my practice in the study of Bible prophecy to be aware of everything possible that is being promoted and discussed. This is so that, if I live to see these things come to pass, I am not caught off guard. I can adjust to their fulfillment and share about Jesus with as many as possible.

I wrote this devotional carefully and somewhat hesitantly, realizing that all manner of people have already plowed through and trod on this ground. There are men far wiser than I who could not be more diametrically opposite in their views on Bible prophecy interpretation and fulfillment.

The point of this study is not to convince you of what I believe. In fact, if I have done my job correctly, it shouldn’t be too obvious where I stand on several of the main issues. I’m trying to be objective for the most part and help deepen your understanding. On some days, I will present a viewpoint regarding an aspect of prophecy for you to consider. Do not take it as Gospel. These thoughts are worth filing away in your mind as a possibility. There’s a good chance some of my speculation will turn out incorrect, and that’s okay.

There is one kind of prophecy I am addressing in this book, and one that I’m not addressing. Let’s start with the latter. This study does not really look into the gift of prophecy that occurs in the Body of Christ. As a reminder, this is one of the gifts given to certain believers as stated in Romans 12:6. Instead, this devotional is primarily a look at Bible prophecy or eschatology as it pertains to the End of the Age. We will also look at America’s troubled future.

As with the previous devotionals I’ve written, my primary goals are to: (1) encourage you and me to feed our spiritual hunger by focusing on God’s Word and (2) drive us to our knees before Him in prayer. No one can answer for us on the Day of Judgment. We will stand alone and answer for what we did do, didn’t do, and should have done. Only belief

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in the atoning work of Jesus Christ will save us from the eternal punishment we deserve. So telling the Lord you believed what other preachers and teachers told you won’t hold any weight.

The title of this devotional is Terminus. This word means the end boundary or extremity of something, like the final train or bus stop. That is what we will be looking at over the next 30 days: the terminus or end of America (at least as we know it) and the End of the Age. Feed the Hunger now has a weblog: feedthehunger.org/blog. On it, you will find all of the devotionals written to date. It will also be a forum of sorts where you can post comments or questions on prophecy or other subjects I post about. We will also post other stories and updates from the ministry on a separate blog.

With these thoughts in mind, let’s begin another month-long study together…

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Day 1 Staying Prepared I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:12-13 In some ways, what I am about to share with you is the most important message of this devotional – which is why it’s Day One of this journey.

So, hear me out and then dwell on it.

Chances are very good that you and I don’t have all Bible prophecy figured out perfectly. That’s a safe assumption. Yet, so many prophecy teachers believe they have it all interpreted correctly. More often than not, I believe the root of this is pride and thinking of one’s intellect or “anointing” too highly. Perhaps God has given a key or two to part of the prophecy puzzle to various individuals. It is my opinion, though, that no one has a full understanding yet, but that He will reveal it all in His time to those who have faith and diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

My exhortation to you is this: Should America’s downfall and/or the End of the Age play out in our lifetime, be flexible. God is not the God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and He will bring understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Stay close to Him through prayer, the reading of His Word, and fellowship with other believers. As things happen in the world and it unravels, He will guide us as to what to do.

I draw strength and encouragement from Paul’s words above to the church at Philippi. He wanted us to learn to be content, and to roll with what God puts before us. This is true in our everyday lives, and I believe it will also be true for America and for the final tumultuous period on earth. There will be much going on during both stages of time. Many will witness. Many will fall away from the faith. Many will be persecuted.

Many will die. It will simultaneously be a wonderful and an unspeakably horrible period in human history.

A glorious eternity awaits those who confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believe in their hearts that God raised His Son from the dead (Romans 10:9). If for some reason this is not true for you, deal

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with it now. Don’t delay. If it is already true for you, embrace it and the challenges God has for your life. He is worthy of our worship and the surrendering of our lives to Him.

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Day 2 The Primary Point His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!

You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:21 It is my humble opinion that the primary point of studying Bible prophecy is not to be thoroughly knowledgeable of the End of the Age, though this knowledge is a good thing. The point is not to become preoccupied with it or build entire ministries and lifestyles around the possibility of prophecies being fulfilled in part or in full during our lifetime.

I have a good brother in the Lord who once told me that whenever God burdens us with a “Matthew 24 message” (Jesus talking about the End of the Age), our application is Matthew 25. So, what does this subsequent chapter share? Jesus spoke of three parables, which then give us three lessons to guide our lives in the light of future fulfillment of prophecies.

The first lesson is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Half of the virgins were foolish and half were wise in their preparation and expectation of the bridegroom’s (Christ’s) delayed return. The moral of the story: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (verse 13). Live your life in a faithful manner, and ready for His return.

The second is the Parable of the Talents, a very popular lesson referred to often today about making the most of what God gives us to steward.

Three men were given talents. The first received five talents, the second, two and the last, one. The five and two were doubled, while the one went unutilized. The moral of the story: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (verses 29-30). In other words, be good stewards with whatever talent God has given you.

The final parable is the Sheep and the Goats. The basis for God’s judgment will be how we treated His people, how we practically helped them in a time of need. The moral of the story: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for

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me� (verse 40). One could argue Jesus is referring specifically to the Jews (since Matthew was writing to Jews) or generally to all believers.

It is my hope that you and I will live our lives ready for His Second Coming, using our talents for His glory, and helping people in need.

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Day 3 Prophecy Teachers Watch out for false prophets.

They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

By their fruit you will recognize them.

Matthew 7:15-16a The following summary is exclusively my opinion on how prophecy teachers should and should not execute their ministry. These are my observations over the last three decades of study, and hopefully they will be helpful to you: What prophecy teachers shouldn’t do: • Be preoccupied with giving to their ministry. Every “non-profit” is concerned about their bottom line. On the flip side, Christians are also called to walk by faith. There is a fine line between making people aware of financial needs to operate, and making it the centerpiece of the ministry.

• Be flashy and over the top. I fully realize that we often look at the outer man while God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Still, I have seen a correlation between how a preacher/teacher dresses and what comes out of his or her mouth. Expensive suits and jewelry are a huge yellow flag to me (1 Timothy 6:3-5). These “teachers” are often the ones telling people what they want to hear, not what they need to hear (2 Timothy 4:3).

• Be preoccupied with the purchase of their materials. If God gives anyone a message to share, it is my opinion that they should share it freely. Otherwise, they are trying to profit from someone else’s (God’s) wisdom (2 Peter 1:20-21). This is not to say I don’t think they should sell their books, but they shouldn’t make it so purchasing something is a necessity to hear what God is saying through them.

• Their teaching is western-centric. The western world didn’t even exist when much of the Bible was written. As a result, the Bible seems abundantly clear that the End of the Age is Middle East-centric, while these teachers focus on the west.

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What prophecy teachers should do: • Exude humility. Their speech is a key indicator of their genuineness. There is a fine line between arrogance and urgency. I don’t think it’s too hard to tell when someone is grandstanding and when they are humbly yet passionately pointing people to Jesus and His Second Coming.

• Encourage non-believers to repent. No doubt there are many secular folk tuning in to a particular book, website or TV show due to curiosity, conviction, or boredom. We must share the message of the Gospel through these platforms.

• Point believers to a life of service and obedience. Being preoccupied with the next prophecy that might be fulfilled is not the point to life or ministry. Making disciples is (Matthew 28:18-20). It’s great to be aware of prophecy that might be fulfilled in our lifetime, but this should only make us strive to serve the Lord more whole-heartedly in practical ways.

• Promote more time in prayer. What the world needs is more fervent prayer from ardent followers of Jesus (James 5:16). Prayer is the powerful weapon that opens hearts, liberates souls, and prepares us to share with boldness.

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Day 4 Normalcy Bias The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Proverbs 27:12 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

2 Peter 3:3-4 Having studied prophecy for some 30 years now, I have made nearly every mistake in the book. I started as a naïve, but well-intentioned, teenager that believed everything the prophecy “teachers” said. It was only many years later that I began to really study for myself God’s Word on the matter. In some areas of prophecy, I now believe the exact opposite of what I once did. It is for this reason that I have made it a point to be aware of all End Times prophecy viewpoints, so that if I live to see them fulfilled, I will not be caught off guard by the manner in which they are actually fulfilled.

One mistake I don’t want to be guilty of is called normalcy bias. Normalcy bias refers to a mental state that individuals enter when facing a disaster or pending danger. People believe that since something has never happened before, that it never will happen. So, they don’t know how to respond when it does happen. It also goes by the name frozen calm, analysis paralysis, the ostrich effect, and the saying, “ignorance is bliss”.

These verses above from 2 Peter describe this condition.

It is believed that when disaster strikes, 70% of people will exercise normalcy bias, 10-15% will panic, and 10-15% will act appropriately.

I’m not sure how one can know for sure that these statistics are correct, but here are a couple of examples.

The Nazi genocide of millions of Jews is a stark reminder of normalcy bias. Even after knowing that friends, family, and other Jews were being taken against their will, many in the Jewish community still stayed put and refused to believe something life-threatening was going on. Hun-

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dreds of thousands didn’t flee their homes and countries when they had the chance.

Here’s another example. During that tragic day of 9/11/01, many working in the World Trade Center stayed or returned to their offices during the evacuation to turn off their computers and make phone calls. They ultimately died in the collapsing towers because of their delay in exiting.

In relation to the terminus of America and the End of the Age, many people will not believe it is either about to happen or when it actually happens. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:37-39 that the End will be like the days just before the flood came. People will be living “normal” lives until things suddenly change. How will they react? Will they react quickly enough? Will God’s people be ready to share the life-saving knowledge of Jesus Christ’s offer of salvation? And will we be ready to offer practical help too?

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Day 5 Proof Texting and Confirmation Bias For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:3 Let’s look at two major mistakes made in studying prophecy: proof texting and confirmation bias. Perhaps you’ve never heard of either of these terms in the title. These two practices go hand-in-hand, and many of us are guilty of them regularly. In fact, I risk being guilty of proof texting by only quoting single verses with each day’s devotional. So I have to be very careful, and you shouldn’t assume I’ve quoted them appropriately! Study for yourself.

Let me mainly address these two practices from a standpoint of studying prophecy. Proof texting is a very dangerous and lazy practice. We studied this frequently in a previous devotional. In the Christian arena, we believers are often guilty of quoting a single Bible verse (or a portion of one) to justify our views, and we also disregard the verse’s context.

There is a saying that provides a warning for this practice: “A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text.”

Let’s look at an example of this in the prophetic world. People often speak about the rapture by quoting 1 Thessalonians 4:17 to justify when they think it will happen. It states: “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

When looking at the context, you understand what “After that” is referring to. This passage is mainly addressing the question of what happens to believers who have died before Jesus returns. It does not address when the rapture happens in the context of the End of the Age. This is but one brief example.

Confirmation bias is somewhat similar to proof texting. It is also called “myside bias”. It means that you and I often go looking for information to confirm what we already believe. Rather than looking and reading and learning objectively, we tend to seek out materials and teachers that we already agree with. We are selective in our study and research. We then

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use this knowledge to justify our deeply-entrenched viewpoints that have not been thoroughly vetted.

I would argue that 2 Timothy 4:3 addresses this practice. We read books and listen to preachers that we already agree with rather than have an open mind. Let me encourage us all to swallow our pride and study viewpoints on Bible prophecy that we may not agree with (am I stating this enough?). What if by chance they are right and you are wrong on a particular aspect?

What this open-minded practice will also accomplish is this, it will force you back into a deeper study of God’s Word. You should be able to justify your position based on a thorough knowledge of the Bible, not by saying that a certain prophecy teacher agrees with what you believe, and so, you must be right.

Having set the stage, let us now look at the specific topics at hand, starting with America.

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Day 6 The First Amendment Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

Psalm 33:12 As we look at America, let’s briefly go back and survey history. From Christopher Columbus to the early settlers to our “founding fathers”, most called themselves Christians, although they were all far from perfect. They made mistakes along the way, such as the mistreatment and massacre of Native Americans, entrenching the unbiblical and ritualistic practices of freemasonry, and the abomination that was slavery. Even worse, all these errors were often carried out in Jesus’ Name. So, we should not venerate the founders more highly than we ought.

Still, as believers, we can admire their overall desire to put God at the center. From Columbus’s first arrival to the Declaration of Independence, there was recognition of the blessings and rights endowed by our Creator. As a result, God has blessed this nation for many years. But His blessing is conditional upon our obedience to His will. Should our nation turn its back on Him, He, in His loving mercy, will correct us and eventually judge us in order to bring repentance and revival.

Now to the topic at hand. Here is the First Amendment to the Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The first statement of this amendment is called the Establishment Clause. Many believe its original intent was to prohibit the establishment of a single national church or denomination over others. Many of the early settlers were fleeing religious persecution in their native countries, and wanted the freedom to worship someplace other than under an official church or denomination.

The popular phrase, “the wall of separation between church and state”, doesn’t actually appear in any founding documents. Thomas Jefferson wrote it in a private letter to Baptists in Connecticut in 1802 to reinforce the fact that a national denomination of Christianity would not be

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chosen. In 1947, however, the Supreme Court, specifically Justice Hugo Black, removed these eight words from their context (proof texting) and used them to redefine the Establishment Clause.

To this day, all manner of politicians and voters quote the phrase almost religiously and in the context of the church not interfering with the state, not the other way around. The saying has been completely turned upside down to mean the exact opposite of how Thomas Jefferson intended it. How incredibly unfortunate and potentially fatal for our nation.

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Day 7 The Not-So-Supreme Court Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Isaiah 5:20 Since the previously mentioned Supreme Court decision in 1947, the “modern” or humanist interpretation has led to several Supreme Court decisions against Christianity (primarily). A ruling in 1971 established what is called the Lemon Test, which determines whether something violates this modern interpretation of separation of church and state. Basically, it ensures that government stays secular.

Decisions from 1962 forward removed any element of Christianity from public schools in particular. The 1973 decision to make abortion legal has led to the deaths of more than 57 million unborn babies as of this writing. This is a larger population than 88% of the nations on this planet. Think of the magnitude. And now we have had the recent Supreme Court decisions to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (2013) and recognize same sex marriage (2015).

The sanctity of life (Psalm 139:14; Jeremiah 1:5) and the covenant between man and woman (Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:26-28) have been redefined by a non-religious authority. The Supreme Court is acting like a supremely ungodly branch of government that has forsaken its spiritual roots.

Now, before we make the Supreme Court the scapegoat for the moral and spiritual decline of our once great nation, think again. They are merely a reflection of the evolution of our society away from its Creator.

Now that He has been removed as our compass, morality has become relative, and many things once considered abominable have become permissible.

It is a dangerous day – which has arrived in full force – when we treat the church, the very foundation of this country for hundreds of years, as a bad influence on government, society, and education. Instead, the things that the majority of Americans once called evil are now called good, and are influencing each subsequent generation into an increasingly warped view of right and wrong. Our country needs to return to its clear spiritual

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roots to have any hope in the future.

Let me conclude by saying that I believe blame and judgment begins with the Body of Christ (1 Peter 4:17). Our laziness and self-centeredness have now been coupled with apathy and silence, as we’ve let secularism become the ruler of the day. We’ll look at this aspect further in a couple of days. But next, we’ll see if America is in the Bible, especially in regards to prophecy.

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Day 8 Is America in the Bible?

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.

Proverbs 14:34 American Christians can be a self-centered and blindly arrogant bunch.

Many of us tend to think that God functions merely to serve us; that He sits on His throne in heaven draped in an American flag and speaking English. I’ve been there. We see Bible prophecies through our western lenses instead of eastern lenses. The reality is that the Bible was written in an area of the world we call the Middle East, and it is Israel-and-Jerusalem-centric through most if not all of the books.

I’ve got a news flash for you: it can’t be proven yet that America is directly mentioned in the Bible. Many a prophecy teacher has attempted to find verses and passages that allude to the USA. Perhaps they will turn out to be right. Here are some of the more popular examples: Ezekiel 28:7-8, Daniel 11:39, Revelation 12:13-14 and Chapter 18. This last reference is the most popular, as there are those who believe America is “Babylon the Great”. Time will tell.

Certainly America has been blessed by God like no nation in history.

We have had the strongest economy and fighting force the world has ever seen. For many years, we have sent out more missionaries and mission funding that any other nation. This has helped to set the stage for the Gospel to be preached to all people groups (Matthew 24:14). We have stood by Israel and been a refuge for the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3).

And we have helped to increase knowledge on the earth at an incredible rate as prophesied at the end of Daniel (12:4).

One of the reasons people believe that America is not mentioned in the Bible is because of the rapture. This is due to the opinion that most Americans are Christians. Perhaps the rapture will one day radically alter our population. Since we are viewed as a “Christian” country (and that would be a very generous description of us today), the sudden departure of millions would collapse our economy and defenses, leaving us vulnerable. Once again, I believe this is rooted in a self-centered view of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3).

We may have once been a majority-Christian nation, but no longer.

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Therefore, we exemplify the verse above from Proverbs. This is reason enough to get on our knees, pray for our country’s leadership and our churches, and look for personal opportunities to witness.

Lastly for today, I would like to leave you with one name of a humble but fiery man of God whom I believe is a prophet of God to the American Church. His name is Jonathan Cahn. Look into what God is saying through him.

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Day 9 What’s Next for America If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.

Jeremiah 18:7-8 Let’s look a little further at America’s downfall. I believe it is likely that if America is not an End-Times player, it is because we will not be a factor. The Bible records a very long history of God judging nations for not following Him and for coming against His people. Look at Ezekiel 25-29 for several prophetic examples.

I would argue that America fits the mold all too perfectly as a nation that should expect God’s judgment. We’ve looked some at our nation’s journey in the wrong direction. Let’s bring it to the present. We are the world’s largest purveyor of pornography. The majority of U.S. citizens now officially reject God’s first covenant between man and woman. We have killed more people than Stalin and Hitler combined through abortion. Think of it – only 23 out of 200 nations have living populations larger than the number we have murdered in the womb. Our nation’s perch atop the world is but a ticking time bomb.

The church in America certainly can share a healthy portion of the blame. We sit silently in the pews while moral decline accelerates. We should be the country’s solution to poverty, not the government (my opinion), and yet only five percent of Americans tithe. Some churches have clung so tightly to tradition and liturgy that the Holy Spirit can’t be found. On the other hand, other churches have tried so hard to be welcoming to people that their services are more similar to a rock concert, where sin is not dealt with, than a holy gathering of saints crashing the gates of hell. There are many different ways the American Body of Christ has either watered down or stifled the simple Gospel message.

Even if you don’t believe anything I’ve written about America’s future from a spiritual standpoint, simple economics or mathematics will clearly show you that our economy is built on a house of cards set to collapse at the slightest breath. We simply cannot borrow, print money, and go into debt the way we have without consequences. The current federal

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debt is headed for the number 20 with a dozen zeroes behind it. Well over three billion dollars a day in debt is being added.

How might our nation fall? Pick your poison. My guess is that it will be a domino effect that includes some or all of these possibilities: extreme natural disaster, terrorist attack(s), foreign invasion, catastrophic warfare (chemical, nuclear, biological, etc.), economic collapse, and anarchy. If you think this is impossible, then I ask you to study history.

Examine your heart and see if your viewpoint is based in na誰ve nationalistic pride. There are many peoples and nations that would love to take a swing at us, get revenge, and pillage our natural resources.

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Day 10 The Prophecy-to-Judgment Gap The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God. Psalm 9:16-17 You might be asking yourself the question, how long is the space of time between a prophetic warning and God’s judgment, and when it comes down on a nation such as America? Naturally and appropriately, let’s look at some stories from the Bible for guidance.

God told King Solomon that because he was not faithful to God’s commands (1 Kings 6:12-13), Israel would be divided during the rule of his son, Rehoboam (11:9-13). It seems this word came to Solomon near the end of his forty-year reign, but we don’t know exactly when. Solomon died around 931 B.C. and the kingdom was divided into Israel and Judah the next year.

How about Sodom and Gomorrah as recorded in Genesis 18 and 19?

These cities are often compared to America. One of their greatest sins was unquestionably homosexuality (Genesis 19:5, Jude 7). Read the story for yourself. There is no doubt that this and many other sins were embraced by their society. Abraham pleaded for Sodom, but no righteous person could be found there. Angels came to warn Lot what was about to happen, and the very next day judgment began.

The famous story of Jonah gives a pretty clear timeline for the city of Nineveh. God announced that in forty days, Nineveh would be destroyed if the people didn’t repent (Jonah 3:4). The people took this warning seriously and repented; God did not bring destruction (verse 10). Nineveh gives me hope for America, but not much to be honest with you.

In the stories mentioned, the gap of time between the prophetic warning and the judgment doesn’t seem that long. This is something to keep in mind, but this is not an exhaustive study on the matter. So, study it for yourself.

We’ve already looked at the downward spiral of our culture with no sign of repentance or revival, and it doesn’t look good. One could argue that there have been many who have spoken prophecies of America’s

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impending judgment. And we should expect it. Remember that God disciplines those He loves (Revelation 3:19), and He loves the whole world, not just America. He has also brought about the end of nations and will bring about the ultimate End. This will lead to a glorious eternity for those who believe in Him. Here is a final thought: God can use the death of a loved one to finally reach the soul of a family member. He can bring illness to cause a person to be totally dependent upon Him. He can bring America to its end in order to reap a harvest of lost souls. He can use any and all negative circumstances for His glory, including the terminus of nations.

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Day 11 My Message to American Christians Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Revelation 2:4-5 God has blessed me with twenty years in ministry, and I have traveled to dozens of countries. Included are some of the richest and some of the poorest nations, some of the most free and some of the most persecuted.

I’ve been to Israel twice and walked where Jesus walked. I’ve seen man at his best and worst. I share all of this just to make the point that I’d like to believe I have some perspective on the world as a result of my travels and ministry.

Here is what I have learned from my experience. In many ways, America is still one of the best places to live. But, we have gotten far too comfortable, lazy, and arrogant due to the prosperity God has given us. We now use our freedom to forsake our first love (the verses above). We’ve always been flawed, but now we are reckless and of little faith.

Let me take this opportunity to share with you the primary prophetic message God has given me to share with American believers. So take a deep breath and a long sip of coffee to hear this with open ears.

The Body of Christ in America is too comfortable, and also too preoccupied with trying to figure out when the “rapture” will take place (regardless of when they believe it happens). As a result, many have failed to consider the possibility – and even the likelihood – that God will judge America before we are taken from earth. His judgment on us may have nothing to do with the End of the Age. And this judgment will include hardship, persecution, illness, and death that we did not think was possible this side of the rapture. Does that make sense to you?

In other words, God could send His Son back for His people before the horrors described in Bible prophecy, and we could still live through unimaginably troubling times in America first. Why do we think that America is immune to hard times? Are we so special that we can ignore His Word and yet still expect His blessings to continue? Further, why

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should we expect a carefree life when there are believers in Iraq, China, North Korea, etc. that have paid the ultimate sacrifice? Why should we never expect major terrorist attacks or a foreign invasion, plagues, famine, pestilence, etc.? Repent, America, before it’s too late!

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Day 12 I’m a Prepper, You’re a Prepper I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5 There is a growing alarm among a segment of western Christians that we should literally be preparing or “prepping” for tougher days ahead.

The line is blurred between whether these tough days are for America or whether they signify the End of the Age. Furthermore, there is another segment of Christians that believes no prepping is necessary because the church will be raptured prior to traumatic times of any kind. So who’s right?

In the Bible, God sometimes gave His people time to prepare. Consider the seven years Joseph stored grain before the famine (Genesis 41:4849). On the other hand, sometimes fleeing took place at a moment’s notice. The Israelites had to leave in the middle of the night after Pharaoh released them, although the Lord did bless them with quick provisions from the Egyptians (Exodus 12:31-36). Later, the Israelites were utterly depleted and relied on God to send manna and quail from heaven to feed them and water from a rock to quench their thirst (Exodus 16:1-17:7).

Most importantly, reliance on God is the best prepping we can do. We need to be in a constant state of dependence on Him regardless of what is going on or what we have stored up. That is the nature of the Christian walk. Apart from Him we can do nothing of eternal consequence. For centuries there have been believers that have endured such harsh times as to be reduced to no other possessions but their faith in God, and that was enough.

Secondly, I believe it is okay to be basically prepared. Even the U.S. Government encourages all households to have at least 72 hours of food, water, and other supplies on hand at all times. You can see for yourself on FEMA’s secondary website, www.ready.gov.

Preparation beyond that is a matter of consistent prayer between you and God. If you choose to “prep” extensively, let me encourage you to do so with the intention of helping family, friends, and neighbors (1 Timothy 5:8, Proverbs 3:27-28). Prepare to share as an act of mercy and for

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the sake of sharing the Gospel in hard times. Physical food and spiritual food should be paired together as much as possible.

Now, we will transition to a couple of weeks of general study on the End of the Age.

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Day 13 God’s 7,000-Year Plan?

A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

Psalm 90:4 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

2 Peter 3:8 What follows is an explanation to the belief, held by some, that God has a 6,000-year plan for man followed by a 1,000-year reign by Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:4). The conviction that this reign is figurative (because so much of Revelation is symbolic) is called amillenialism. Early Church writers like Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Victorinus, and the author of the Epistle of Barnabas, however, believed in the 6,000 years of man.

Early Jewish writers did too. This doesn’t mean that their belief is the reality. It’s just a factor worth considering.

Let’s look at some interesting patterns in the Bible that support this belief. God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and on the seventh day He rested (Exodus 20:11). Here are other instances in the Bible that involved six days and a distinct seventh day: Mount Sinai and the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:16), the destruction of Jericho (Joshua 6:13-15), and the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1).

God also instructed the Hebrews to follow certain rules that reflected a similar kind of timeline. Slaves served for six years and were freed in the seventh year (Exodus 21:2). Fields were to be worked for six years and then rested in the seventh year (Exodus 23:10-11). People were to work six days and then rest on the seventh day (Leviticus 23:3).

The verses above state that God sees a thousand years as a day. Is this a way of stating that just as He created the world in six days, so man would rule six “days” or six thousand years?

Within this belief of 6,000 years is that there are three approximate ages: 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham (Age of Chaos/Desolation), 2,000 years from Abraham to Jesus (Age of the Torah), and 2,000 years from Jesus’ First Coming to His Second Coming (Age of the Messiah).

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What year are we in now in relation to the possible 6,000 years of man? I don’t believe we can know for sure. It is likely that the 6,000-year clock commenced – not when Adam and Eve were created – but when they sinned and were kicked out of Eden. This would be the beginning of the 6,000 years of man’s self-rule. The Bible does not tell us when this happened. However, it does make one think we are close if this timeline is correct.

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Day 14 The Final 3,000 Years?

The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.

Luke 24:7 Let’s continue along yesterday’s line of thinking, and consider the last 3,000 of the 7,000 proposed years. Specifically, this refers to the last 2,000-year segment and the 1,000-year reign of Christ to follow (if literal). There is another interesting pattern that appears from Bible stories to support this time structure. I am speaking of two “days” followed by a distinct third “day”.

There are several instances in the Bible of a third “day” that brings spiritual breakthrough or restoration. Here are most of the major examples: • God giving Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:9-25) • King Hezekiah’s healing (2 Kings 20:5) • Esther going before the king and rescuing the Jews (Esther 5:1) • Israel’s future restoration (Hosea 6:2) • Jonah’s release from the fish (Jonah 1:17) • Jesus’ death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21) Pretty interesting, huh? You are probably tempted now to break out your calculator and try to figure out where we are. Here are a couple of important things to consider. First, it’s worth mentioning that perhaps these last 2,000 years shouldn’t be computed using our solar calendar of 365.25 days per year. The Jewish calendar is lunar based, which is 29.5 days per month. An extra month is added to their calendar every two or three years. This equates to seven leap years every 19 years. On the flip side, maybe this should be computed in solar years because this is the “church age”.

Secondly, when did the final 2,000 years actually commence? Did it commence when Jesus was born, began His ministry, was crucified, resurrected, or 40 days later when He ascended into heaven? Just as with yes-

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terday’s devotional, I don’t believe we can know this for sure either, yet.

Scholars can’t agree on when these milestones happened. Most agree Jesus wasn’t born until just before or right at the turn of the millennium from B.C. to A.D. Most also agree that the crucifixion/resurrection/ascension happened between 30 and 33 A.D. If you went forward 2,000 solar years, it would mean 2030-2033. In lunar years, we would have passed 2,000 years over a decade ago.

It’s important not to get too dogmatic on exactness because of all the disagreements over the true dates of events long ago. Instead, let us focus on the fact that God is sovereign. He has a precise plan for man that will be fulfilled in His perfect and ordained time, and it could be right around the corner.

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Day 15 The Spring Feasts The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’”

Leviticus 23:1-2 The Jewish people held festivals that were ordained by God to commemorate important events in the history of their people. Jesus also symbolically and literally fulfilled or will fulfill them all. This is crucial to understand.

Over the next two days, let’s look at the Jewish festivals as they relate to Jesus’ First Coming and Second Coming. They paint a beautiful picture of how He has fulfilled the spring feasts and will fulfill the fall feasts. The first three spring feasts occur over eight days in our months of March or April. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection also happened during this window of time. The fourth feast is called the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost and is 50 days later in May or June.

Here is a basic summary (which does not nearly do them justice) of the four feasts in the spring: • Passover begins on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish religious year (Exodus 12:1-14, Leviticus 23:5, Numbers 28:1623, Deuteronomy 16:1-7). It commemorates the Jews’ deliverance from Egypt, and when they put the blood of unblemished lambs on their doorposts. Jesus fulfilled this feast by being the unblemished lamb that was slain for us (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:6, etc.).

• The Feast of Unleavened Bread is celebrated right after Passover, starting on the 15th day of the first month of the Jewish religious year (Exodus 12:15-20, Leviticus 23:6-8, Numbers 28:17-25, Deuteronomy 16:8). It commemorates the hasty escape of the Jews from Egypt (Exodus 12:31-34). During the feast, all leavened bread was removed from the homes to signify removing sin (leaven or yeast) from their lives. Jesus fulfilled this by declaring Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:26-58), and encouraging us to remove the sin, or leaven, from our lives (Luke 12:1, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8,

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Galatians 5:7-9).

The Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14). The Jews offered the first fruits of their barley crops to the Lord on one day. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 declares that Jesus is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”, or died, in the faith. It is believed that Jesus was resurrected on this feast day. And as a result, we will also be raised from the dead at His Second Coming should we not be alive at the point of His return.

• The Feast of Weeks is one day that is seven weeks after Passover (Leviticus 23:15-21, Numbers 28:26-31, Deuteronomy 16:9-12).

The people joyfully made an offering to the Lord from the wheat harvest. The New Testament fulfillment took place in Acts 2:1-4, which is called Pentecost, the time of the Holy Spirit’s arrival. A great spiritual harvest also took place. This occurred on the exact day of the Feast of Weeks.

Tomorrow we will look at the Fall Feasts, and how Jesus will fulfill them all at His Second Coming.

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Day 16 The Fall Feasts These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times.

Leviticus 23:4 The three feasts in the fall occur over a span of 21 days around our September and October. They foreshadow Jesus’ Second Coming, Day of Atonement, and Millennial Reign. Not surprisingly, Christians do not agree on the future occasions that fulfill the fall feasts. Here is a description of each, including what they could mean for the future.

• The Feast of Trumpets is a day of rest when the people assemble together with trumpet blasts and make an offering to the Lord on the first day of the 7th month (Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 29:16). It also goes by the name Rosh Hashanah, and is the start of the new calendar year. There is a fascinating similarity between this feast and the fall of Jericho, but we don’t have room for explanation here. It is believed that this feast is tied to the Rapture/ Second Coming, which is marked by the sound of trumpets (Matthew 24:30-31, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 11:15).

• The Day of Atonement takes place ten days after the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 16, 23:26-32, Numbers 29:7-11). Another sacred assembly gathered, fasted, and treated it as a Sabbath rest. Once a year, only on this day, which is also known as Yom Kippur, the high priest entered the inner sanctuary of the Holy Place to make an offering, which was to be atonement for the sins of the people.

Jesus, our High Priest, made atonement for our sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:1-14). This day seems to be connected to the ultimate future day when we stand before God and His throne to be judged for our sins. Due to His Son’s atonement, our names appear in the book of life (Revelation 20:11-15).

• The Feast of Booths, Ingathering, or Tabernacles occurs five days after the Day of Atonement and is a week-long celebration (Leviticus 23:33-43, Numbers 29:12-34, Deuteronomy 16:13-15). The people would erect booths, somewhat like canopies, celebrate the

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harvest, and make offerings to the Lord. Perhaps this celebration is a foreshadowing of perfect union with Him in the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation 21:1-4. God will dwell, or tabernacle, with us from then on. Zechariah 14:16-19 also references a future day when all nations will come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

Once again, I should mention that Christians do not agree on how these three fall feasts will be fulfilled, so take what I’ve written with a grain of salt. Others see the Feast of Trumpets symbolizing the Rapture, the Day of Atonement as the Second Coming, and the Feast of Tabernacles as the Millennial Reign. I lean toward what I’ve written above. Let us find peace in the fact that God will fulfill these fall feasts, and it will be glorious.

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Day 17 Replacement Theology Consequently, you [Jew and Gentile] are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

Ephesians 2:19-21 It is safe to say that the Christian World believes Jesus was a Jew and His literal ministry was exclusively to the Jews during His time on earth.

Further, there is no dispute that the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day were the instigators in having Him crucified. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, a transition was declared. Jesus declared His love for the world (John 3:16). He announced that disciples should be made from all nations (Matthew 28:19) and that we should be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The Apostle Paul was one of the initial evangelists to the Gentile world (Romans 1:16). Salvation was offered “first to the Jew, then to the Gentile”. The majority of the New Testament was written by him to both Jew and Gentile.

Where there is disagreement in the Christian world is whether the Jewish people and the nation of Israel have permanently fallen out of God’s favor and been replaced by the Gentile Church. This is called “replacement theology” or “supersessionism”. In other words, the Church superseded the Jews as God’s chosen people to carry out His plan in the world. So, from Pentecost forward, any reference to Israel is interpreted as the Church by those who believe in replacement theology.

Since the Jews have been blamed as the people who rejected the Messiah and crucified Him, an intense hatred has boiled over from time to time against them. It is important to remember that this act of sacrifice for us was prophesied hundreds of years earlier in numerous Old Testament verses and passages (Psalm 22:1, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 53, and Micah 5:2, just to name a few).

Still, the Jewish religious leaders didn’t recognize Jesus as the prophesied Messiah. Subsequently, there has been two thousand years of an-

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ti-Semitism, even by some individuals we call “church fathers�. More recently, the Nazis succeeded in nearly wiping them out, executing six million in the most despicable and horrible ways.

Amazingly, through millennia of persecution and no homeland, the Jews have returned to part of the land promised to Abraham (we’ll look at this tomorrow). Replacement theologians would not find this fact to be a miracle or a fulfillment of prophecy. Those opposed to replacement theology believe this is a miracle and was prophesied in many places, including Ezekiel 37 and Matthew 24:32-35. What do you think?

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Day 18 The Fig Tree Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.

Matthew 24:32 Let’s take a closer look at the prevalent view that Israel becoming a nation again is of profound importance. In the Bible, Israel’s nationality is signified by the fig tree (Jeremiah 24:5, Hosea 9:10). It is also symbolized as the vine and as an olive tree. It is believed as well that Ezekiel 37 describes Israel’s rebirth as the Valley of Dry Bones that comes to life.

We only have room to discuss the fig tree today.

Interestingly, the fig tree begins to blossom in the spring on the previous year’s growth and before leaves are produced. This explains why Jesus cursed the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22 (also Mark 11:20-25). The leaves had already come forth but there was no fruit. The parable in Luke 13:6-9 makes a similar point. Applying this to our lives, how can we prove we are growing in our faith and walk with the Lord if we produce no fruit year after year?

Now, back to Israel. In Matthew 24:32-35, in the midst of His talk about the End of the Age, Jesus says that once the fig tree starts to show leaves, summer is near. Likewise, when they see all that Jesus described as “signs of the times”, the terminus is just around the corner. In fact, much has been made of verse 34, which states that “this generation (can also be translated as “race”) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened”.

The prevailing belief has been that once Israel became a nation again, that generation (depending on how long you believe a generation is) will live to see the End of the Age. And what a long wait it has been for the Jewish people to have a homeland again. They are a modern-day miracle in the eyes of many.

The Roman Emperor Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the Jews were scattered. Beginning with the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917, they began to return to the ancient land, culminating on May 14, 1948 with Israel declaring its independence. Israel was recognized by the United Nations on May 11, 1949 and Jerusalem was recaptured

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on June 7, 1967.

Despite being mostly surrounded by hostile Arab nations, Israel continues to exist and in many ways thrive. Now, over eight million people call it home. Nazi Germany and many other empires and nations throughout the centuries have tried, and failed, to exterminate the Jews.

Regardless of how you feel about Israel and End Times, I believe we can agree that modern-day Israel is an amazing miracle! We can also pray for a revival to break out among this people group and all people groups. May the Jews finally recognize their long-awaited Messiah. He already came and is coming again!

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Day 19 The Final Generation Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Matthew 24:34 Prophecy students and teachers alike sometimes get upset if they think you are date-setting Jesus’ return. They cite “about that day or hour no one knows” in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32. We’ve addressed this in a previous devotional; this expression is actually a Jewish idiom that should not be taken at face value. It is really describing the uncertain appearance of the new moon at the Feast of Trumpets. We know that the Lord will return during this September Festival (see previous devotional). We just don’t know at this point what year it will happen.

To keep from offending you, know that I am not trying to set specific dates in today’s devotional. However, let us consider some possibilities for the sake of study. Assuming that Israel being reborn is scriptural (see yesterday’s devotional and Isaiah 66:7-9 for some of the many examples), and assuming that this generation won’t pass away until the End of the Age comes, how long is a generation? Ah, “therein lies the rub” as I misquote Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Some have pointed to 40 years as the length of a generation. This is the length of time that Moses led the wandering Hebrews in the desert as punishment from God for not entering the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33-34). Why is this important? There is compelling evidence that portions of Matthew 24 were fulfilled in the first century, as it was approximately 40 years from Jesus’ crucifixion to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Others thought Jesus would return 40 years after Israel became a nation in 1948, which was 1988. I don’t think that happened, do you?

There also seems to be evidence that a life span/generation is 70-80 years. Look at these passages on your own: 2 Samuel 5:4, Acts 13:36, Psalm 90:10, 2 Samuel 19:32, 35, Isaiah 23:15, Daniel 9:2. From the time of King David to the present (around 3,000 years), one could argue that this range has been the average life span. But are life span and generation the same thing?

There are many opinions on how long a generation is and over the true

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translation and fulfillment of this verse, but not room to visit them all.

In fact, I almost didn’t include this topic in the devotional because the water still seems so muddy to me. May the Lord give us all discernment.

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Day 20 And Then the End Will Come And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14 The temptation is there for every generation to look at a snapshot during their lifetime and fit the “signs of the times” and fulfillment of prophecy to what they see (confirmation bias). To do so requires ignorance of scriptures and their context. Let me give you an example. After nearly every major earthquake, drought, or plague in history, those who lived through or observed it have speculated that it was a sign of the end.

After all, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24 that there will be earthquakes, famines, etc. in certain places.

In my humble opinion though, there is one single scripture that stands head and shoulders above the rest in regards to importance. It needs no explanation, yet it is often ignored despite its preeminence.

I believe that every generation should compare the signs that they see to the above verse from Matthew 24. The disciples asked Jesus for the sign of His coming – sign as in singular. He listed false messiahs, famines, wars, earthquakes, etc., as the beginning of birth pains. Then there were persecutions, deaths, false prophets, and so on. Then we come to verse 14.

Until every people group on earth has heard the message of salvation found through Jesus Christ, we shouldn’t expect His return. The End will come only after this point is reached. So my suggestion is to research the Christian organizations that are working and monitoring the spread of the Gospel to all people groups. I personally recommend The Joshua Project and Finishing the Task.

Here is something else to consider: Did Jesus mean that this testimony to all nations (people groups) happens at the same point in time? For example, if the Gospel was spread to every corner of XYZ country in the 5th century, but this nation has since turned completely to Islam, does God consider it reached since it once was? Or does this complete spread of the Gospel need to reach critical mass at one point in time? Something to think about.

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Until that day when the Gospel has been preached to all nations, please pray for the unreached and those trying to reach them. Treat this sign with the attention it deserves.

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Day 21 The Timing of the Rapture (Part One) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 There are three views of Christ’s Rapture/Second Coming in regards to the 1,000-year reign of Revelation 20, which we will not look at today: premillennialism (before), postmillennialism (after), and amillennialism (no literal 1,000-year reign). And the way the joke goes, there are even some who say there are panmillennial if they’re unsure, meaning it will all “pan” out in the end. Instead, we will take the next two days to look at the timing of the rapture.

There is no way I can avoid addressing this central issue in eschatology. There are extremely strong opinions on all sides about the so-called “rapture”. I addressed the root of this word in a previous devotional. In short, the word rapture is derived from the Latin version of the word, “raptus”, which is derived from the Greek word, “harpazõ”. It refers to when both alive and dead believers are “caught up…in the air… [to] be with the Lord forever”.

There are five primary viewpoints as to when the rapture will take place in regards to the “70th Week” mentioned in Daniel. This is the literal final seven-year period of time at the End of the Age. We’ll look at this in a couple of days. The latter half of these seven years is often called “The Great Tribulation” (more on this later).

Here are the five main viewpoints on the timing of the rapture: • Pre-tribulation: This is the belief that the church will be secretly raptured prior to the final seven years. Most also believe in the imminent return of Jesus, meaning nothing has to happen before the rapture.

• Mid-tribulation: This is the conviction that the rapture happens in the middle of the seven years, just prior to the second half, or 1,260 days, of the seven years.

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• Post-tribulation: You guessed it, the rapture happens at the end of the seven years.

• Pre-wrath: This is the viewpoint that the Body of Christ is taken to heaven after judgment has come upon the world, but before God’s wrath is poured out on it (1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9). There is disagreement though on when His wrath starts at the End of the Age. • No rapture: There are Christians who believe there is no literal rapture or Great Tribulation, and everything outside of the Second Coming was fulfilled in the first century.

Tomorrow we will look at this further, and hopefully help you find a place of perspective and peace about the rapture.

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Day 22 The Timing of the Rapture (Part Two) Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Here is my advice to you on the timing of the rapture. First, don’t take any prophecy teacher’s word for when the rapture will happen. Study for yourself and be able to justify your position clearly through Scripture.

Look at the primary verses in their context. Other verses/passages include Matthew 24:30-31, John 14:3, and Titus 2:13.

As you’ve heard me say, far too often we quote verses or parts of verses that sound cute or poignant, but we quote them improperly because we ignore context (proof texting). It is my hope that when you study the verses and passages mentioned over the last two days, you will be able to speak with more conviction as to when you believe the rapture may take place.

Second, find peace and joy in the fact that the Lord will return one day. He will bring an end to all pain and suffering for those who believe.

Third, be sobered for those who haven’t accepted Christ into their hearts. They face an unspeakably tortured reality in their future. Pray for them and witness to them as God opens doors of conversation.

Fourth, in my travels overseas and especially where Christians are enduring hardship, persecution, and death, I’ve noticed something. They are not concerned with the timing of the rapture. They are too busy experiencing tribulation, laying down their lives, and living for the Lord each day. Perhaps we should follow their lead.

Fifth, regardless of which viewpoint you hold, please don’t assume that you will escape hardship, persecution, and martyrdom prior to the rapture. This reality has already been true for millions of believers throughout time and could one day be likely for America. We covered this on a previous day, but it is worth repeating.

Lastly, don’t get defensive or offended by those who hold a different view of the rapture’s timing. It’s okay to disagree. Our hope is in Jesus, not in the timing of His return. Let’s exercise grace in the “non-essential”

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areas of our faith. In other words, does my belief in the timing of the rapture determine whether I go to heaven? No, I don’t believe it does. So avoid treating someone who views the rapture differently than you as a heretic. They are likely your brothers or sisters in Christ.

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Day 23 The 70th Week of Daniel He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.

And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Daniel 9:27 Forgive me if this is a difficult read to understand today, but you might need to go through it slowly or even twice to let it sink in. Also, you won’t be surprised when I say that religious scholars don’t agree on how this subject matter was or will be fulfilled.

To understand what the “70th Week of Daniel” is and when it occurs, we need to go back to the previous three verses in Daniel 9, and discern the meaning of “seven”. Verse 24 states that seventy “sevens”, or seventy weeks, are decreed.

It is generally agreed among most that a prophetic week can stand for seven years, a year for each day. See Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 for other examples of a prophetic day equaling one year. Further, a prophetic year is believed by many to be 360 days long, as the Jewish calendar is lunar based, not 365.25 days per year like our solar calendar (as we’ve already covered).

In Verse 25, it says: “From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’” So, seven “sevens” is 17,640 days, 49 lunar years, or 48.33 solar years. 62 “sevens” is 156,240 days, 434 lunar years, or 428.05 solar years.

There were four similar decrees during this era that were possible starting points to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem”: the decree by Cyrus in 536 B.C. (Ezra 1:1-4); by Darius in 520 B.C. (Ezra 6:1-12); by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-26); and again by Artaxerxes in 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8). There are “scholarly” opinions about which one was the starting point. The math looks doubtful on at least the two earliest decrees, as well as the fact that they focus on rebuilding the temple and not the city.

Whichever decree is correct, it commenced the seven “sevens”, or 49

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years, it must have taken to rebuild Jerusalem (though this completion date is not verified anywhere that I could find). Another 62 “sevens” later, “the Anointed One will be put to death” or crucified (verse 26). This would be around 33 A.D. Then there is this final seven, or week, mentioned in the verse at the top. Some believe this was fulfilled in the first century, while more lean towards a future week. The book of Revelation (11:2-3, 12:6, 13:5) also mentions a period of 42 months or 1,260 days where many troubling things happen. “Time, times, and half a time” is also a reference to the same 3½ years that seems to be mentioned in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 and Revelation 12:14. All of this sounds very similar to the disruption in the middle of the 70th Week in Daniel 9:27. More on this tomorrow.

One day the Lord will clearly reveal how the first 69 weeks were fulfilled down to the day, and how the final week was or will be fulfilled.

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Day 24 Great Tribulation These [martyred believers] are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 7:14 Let me start, once again, with a big disclaimer and reminder that prophecy teachers and students alike have come up with various explanations for every prophetic detail that seems coded. There are those who believe every prophecy found primarily in Daniel and Revelation, except for a very few, were fulfilled in the past. Others believe there are dual fulfillments. Still some others believe the prophecies not associated with Jesus’ First Coming are to be fulfilled in the future.

What I am trying to accomplish is to assist you in some basic framework for further study. Keep this in mind as we now look at the “Great Tribulation”.

In addition to the verse above, Matthew 24:21 also uses the phrase “great tribulation” in certain translations: “For then there will be great distress (tribulation), unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” There is compelling evidence that the Great Tribulation is actually the latter half, or three and a half years, of the seven-year finale called the 70th Week of Daniel that we looked at yesterday.

We learned from Daniel that in the middle of these seven years, a covenant will be broken with God’s people. There are three other Biblical terms used to describe the three and a half years (assuming you believe they are literal years): • Time, times, and half a time. An example where “times” was used to signify one year was in Daniel 4:32 where it was declared that King Nebuchadnezzar would lose his mind for “seven times” or seven years. This “time” terminology is used in Daniel 7:25 to identify when the beast (believed by many to be the Antichrist) blasphemes God, oppresses the saints, and tries to change the times and laws. In Daniel 12:7 it refers to when the “holy people” are broken, and in Revelation 12:14 to when the woman (believed by

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many to be Israel) flees.

• 42 months is mentioned in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5. The former is when Jerusalem is trampled upon. The latter is when the beast out of the sea blasphemes God’s name, makes war against the saints, and forces everyone to worship him.

• 1,260 days is used in Revelation 11:3 when the “two witnesses” will prophesy. Who these two men are is another debate that will be covered tomorrow. Revelation 12:6 also mentions this time frame as the length of time that the woman flees into the desert.

The fact is, several different terms and Scripture all seem interconnected and point to bad things happening in a literal or figurative three and a half year period. As always, whether we live to see these times or not, God is our refuge in the storm (Psalm 46:1).

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Day 25 The Two Witnesses And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”

Revelation 11:3-4 In the above verse, John records quotes from Zechariah 4:12-14. The angel told Zechariah that the two witnesses “are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth”. So who exactly are these olive trees/lampstands/witnesses?

We know in the verses that follow in Revelation 11 that these two will prophesy for 1,260 days, be clothed in sackcloth, be able to destroy their enemies, stop it from raining, turn water into blood, and strike the earth with plagues. They are unable to die until they have finished their testimony. Then the beast will kill them and their bodies will lie in the street “for three and a half days”. (Does this period of time sound familiar?)

God revives them and they are then taken up to heaven.

I’m not sure what your experience has been, but I was taught that the two witnesses were either Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah. The reason for Moses and Elijah is because they were on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus (Matthew 17:1-13). Since they appeared on earth at that time, they could do so again. Malachi 4:5 also states that Elijah would return again, but Jesus on the Mount actually clarified that this was fulfilled through John the Baptist (read the passage).

The reason for Enoch and Elijah is because neither seems to have tasted death. They ascended to heaven at the end of their time on earth (Enoch: Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5; Elijah: 2 Kings 2:11). I’m not going to get into a theological debate now as to which of the three heavens (covered in a previous devotional) they ascended to and if they really did escape death.

There is another belief that the two witnesses are figurative and represent Israel and the Church. They are viewed as being God’s witnesses on the earth. In Romans 11:11-24, Paul describes Israel as the cultivated olive tree and the Gentile church as the wild olive tree. And Revelation 1:20 states that the seven lampstands John had just seen represented sev-

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en churches.

Still, others believe the two witnesses represent the Old and New Testament. It can get confusing and frustrating.

Whether it is literally one of these men of old, or two future men that come in the spirit of Moses, Elijah, and Enoch, or if they are two figurative witnesses, I urge you to once again focus on God’s ultimate victory at the End of the Age. And, in the here and now, how can you be a more effective witness for Him?

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Day 26 The Revelation of John I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.

And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.

Revelation 22:8 Let’s take a step back and look at Revelation. It is important to note that out of all 66 books in the Bible, only the book of Revelation promises a blessing to those who read and understand it (1:3 and 22:7). It is also important to realize that Revelation is of the apocalyptic genre. There are several other genres in the Bible including poetry, historical narrative, prophetic, Gospel, letters, etc. Some books even contain more than one genre or sub-genres.

The point is, you shouldn’t read and interpret Revelation the same way you do Psalms for example. Look at it this way: you don’t read a book or watch a movie that is science fiction and treat it as a romantic comedy.

You would be lost and miss the point entirely. Further, Revelation was written in the late first century A.D., so you need to understand historical context too – what the world was going through in John’s day.

Here is the basic topical structure of Revelation. It opens with messages for seven churches in cities situated in modern-day Turkey. It then gets a good bit more symbolic: the throne in heaven, the Lamb of God, seven seals, trumpets, plagues and bowls, 144,000 witnesses and two other witnesses, persecution by beasts, three angels, a woman on a beast, the fall of Babylon, the rider on the white horse, a thousand years, a new Jerusalem, and the river of life. Whew! That’s exhausting and a bit daunting to read, much less try to figure out the meaning.

Let me mention again about the different schools of thought. There are those “smarter” than I who believe that most of Revelation was fulfilled in the days of and immediately following the Apostle John, and that the rest of the book is metaphorical, not literal. There are others who believe it is all to be fulfilled in the future. Still there are some that believe this and other Bible prophecies have some measure of dual fulfillment, meaning fulfillment in the days relatively soon after the prophecies were given and written, and also at the End of the Age.

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I have found it helpful to read commentaries on Revelation. I’ve also found it helpful to read this and other books in one sitting if possible. It gives you the big picture and helps you understand the flow. You will probably read and realize details you hadn’t noticed before. Ultimately, it’s worth focusing on the final chapter and the return of “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). That’s something to truly look forward to.

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Day 27 Is Islam an End-Times Player?

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39 For several decades, perhaps longer, the western mindset of the End of the Age has revolved around prophecies being fulfilled in and around Europe. Maybe you’ve heard it said that a ten-nation confederacy would arise from European nations led by the Antichrist. This End Times leader would emerge from a country like Great Britain or Greece, and a future pope would be the False Prophet. Russia would also be a major player.

For those who’ve been exposed to prophecy teaching based in America, this should sound familiar to you. But is it Biblically accurate? Here is another viewpoint for you to consider.

There is another region and religion of the world that holds uncanny similarity to what is mentioned in the Bible. Over the next few days, we will look at Islam as a possible major End-Times player, the 12th Imam as the Antichrist, and a Muslim Jesus as the False Prophet. But first, some background information.

Islam is more than just a religion; it is a way of life that controls all areas of life. Muslims believe that Allah is the one true god (it is NOT the same God that Christians serve; see verse above), and Muhammad is the one true prophet. Muhammad lived from 570-632 A.D. Starting at 40 years of age, he claimed to have been visited by the angel Gabriel in a cave and given certain revelations about Allah. He recorded them in what is known as the Quran, or the holy book of Islam. Other writings called the Hadith and Sira have documented the life and times of Muhammad.

Muhammad had up to 13 wives, the youngest of which was Aisha.

She was six when they were betrothed and nine when the marriage was consummated. After Muhammad’s death, there was a split among his descendants as to who was his rightful successor. As a result, there are two main branches of Islam. The Sunnis firmly believe that Abu Bakr was the true religious heir as Muhammad’s chief advisor and father of Aisha. The Shias or Shiites firmly believe that Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law,

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Ali, was to be his successor.

The vast majority of the world’s Muslims are Sunni, around 85% in fact. This would include Sunni-majority countries like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, and terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Taliban.

Shias are the majority population in Iraq and Iran and include terrorist groups such as Hezbollah.

It is the Shias in particular who believe in the 12th Imam, or Mahdi, their future Messiah, who will establish a Caliphate, or Islamic state, that will unify all Muslims. Could this be the End-Times world leader spoken of in the Bible? We’ll look more at this tomorrow.

Time will tell if Islam or another apostate religion is the one the Antichrist will one day lead. Just be aware of this possibility.

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Day 28 The Mahdi It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

Revelation 13:7 Were you aware that, just as followers of Christ believe that Jesus will return to establish His Kingdom forever, Muslims believe a Messiah is coming too? However, they believe this person is someone called the Mahdi. Did you also know that Muslims believe Jesus (called “Isa”) will accompany the Mahdi to bring about a final Muslim Caliphate, or Islamic government? We will talk about this Muslim Jesus tomorrow. Today, we will look at the 12th Imam, or Mahdi.

I would be remiss if I didn’t first mention Joel Richardson’s book, The Islamic Antichrist. He has done exhaustive research into this topic and goes into far more detail than I can in this devotional.

In short, many Shia Muslims believe that there have been 12 Imams, or divinely appointed successors of Muhammad. These men lived in the seventh and eight centuries after Muhammad’s death. Muhammad ibn al-Hassan was the 12th, and it is claimed that he disappeared as a child and has been in hiding ever since. He will one day return to reign for seven years (sound familiar?!).

Sunni Muslims and some Shias believe that the Mahdi or “Guided One” will come to bring peace to the world, but that he has not been born yet. So, the reality is that all 1.6 billion Muslims (around 25% of the world’s population) basically believe that a savior is coming to establish Islam as the world’s religion. The Mahdi has other Arabic names, which when translated mean “the Awaited” and “Lord of the Age”.

In broad terms, what the Bible says about the Antichrist are the same attributes as the 12th Imam, or Mahdi, in Islam’s writings. Here are some of the main similarities (there are more): • Spiritual world leader (Revelation 13:8) • Rides on a white horse (Revelation 6:2) • Seven year covenant/treaty (Daniel 9:27) • Global seat is on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27, 2

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Thessalonians 2:4) • Beheads non-believers (Revelation 20:4) Will the Mahdi reappear, unite the Sunnis and Shias, and establish a Caliphate? Will he be the foretold Antichrist? Time will tell, but the case is rather uncanny and compelling.

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Day 29 The Muslim Jesus It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

Revelation 13:12 In compelling ways, Islam is a severe perversion of Christianity. It claims Jesus is only a prophet who will one day return to point people to the Muslim Messiah, the 12th Imam or Mahdi, as the true Savior of the world.

In the first half of Revelation 13, the Antichrist is described as the Beast out of the Sea. The latter half of the chapter speaks of a Beast out of the Earth. Most agree that this is a description of the False Prophet, the right-hand man to the Antichrist. He is also mentioned (in the NIV) as the False Prophet in Revelation 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10.

Look at some of the alarming similarities between the False Prophet and the coming Muslim Jesus. Once again, this is only a snapshot. I highly recommend the book by Joel Richardson, the Islamic Antichrist. Here are just some of the eerie similarities found between Revelation 13:11-18 and Muslim writings: • Right-hand man to the Antichrist, or Mahdi • Appears like a lamb • Speaks great things • Points people to worship the Antichrist, or Mahdi • Kills those who don’t worship the Antichrist, or Mahdi Think of this for a moment. Both Christians and Muslims believe Jesus is coming back. Imagine the hysteria, confusion, and worship that will arise when someone claims to be Jesus and then points people to the Mahdi. Naïve and shallow Christians will assume they had it wrong, as this holy blast from the past actually directs people to an Islamic Messiah. Could this be a source of the “powerful delusion” that causes the apostasy or great falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11)? We’ll look at this topic tomorrow.

Today is as good a day as any to ask you to reexamine your faith in the one true God and His Son, Jesus. He died for your sins and was res-

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urrected to defeat sin forever. Only He has the power to save you from a hopeless eternity. Now is the time, more than ever, for you to have assurance in your salvation so that you can endure the troubling days ahead with peace, hope, love, and steadfastness.

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Day 30 Apostasy, Now and Later It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Hebrews 6:4-6 No one ever identifies themselves as apostate. It’s a label we use for others we believe have either renounced or perverted their faith in Christ.

Their belief system has gotten polluted by the world and by their own selfish desires. The Bible uses the term “falling away”. The Bible warns against falling away in general (2 Corinthians 11:3-4, Hebrews 3:12-14, 6:4-6), but also specifically during the End Times (2 Thessalonians 2:112).

The causes of apostasy are numerous, including false prophets (Matthew 24:10-13, 22-24), carnality, or hearing what we want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4), and evil spirits (1 Timothy 4:1).

What should be a sobering thought to all believers is how bad the deception and apostasy will be during the final climactic period of human history. God allows the Antichrist to perform incredible signs and miracles. This will no doubt cause some who claimed to be believers to be enamored with him. They have not studied or grasped the truth of the Bible enough to recognize the deception. It is a sobering thought. A falling away, by its very nature, means that those who call themselves Christians will turn away from the faith. They will fall away and follow the ultimate darkness; one who is clothed in light but evil to the core.

We could easily agree that apostasy is growing in America. We are surrounded by preachers and teachers who tell us what we want to hear. You know who I’m talking about – those who speak of God as a genie waiting to grant our every material wish. Their book titles focus on man, not God, and on what He can do for us, not what we should do for His glory.

Let me stress a previous point. Just because one could argue that America has growing apostasy, it does not necessarily mean it is the End

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of the Age. It could be, but far too many believers tie what is happening in America to the terminus of all things. Chances are pretty good, in my opinion, that America’s downfall will likely precede the End of the Age. There may be a gap of weeks, months, or years before the rapture takes place. We could face all sorts of severe hardship and even death before Jesus returns.

Should the End of the Age happen in our lifetime, we will see many that we called Christians – friends and family even – turn from the true message of the Gospel and follow the Antichrist. That should make you shudder.

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Day 31 I Don’t Know You For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Romans 8:13 Let me close with another sobering devotional. I want to deal with a subject that you really won’t find many talking about in American churches today. I view it a little differently than the End Times apostasy that we discussed yesterday because it applies to the here and now.

There are some unsettling passages in Scripture about people who call themselves followers of Christ, yet they will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. These passages are unavoidable and extremely sobering to me, so much so that they keep me on my spiritual knees before the Lord. This is not a debate on “once saved, always saved”. So, knowing this, let’s briefly look today at two disturbing passages together.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:21-23 that there will be many (wow!) who call Him, “Lord”, who will not enter heaven. Even successfully performing miracles and driving out demons doesn’t give anyone the “get out of hell, free” pass. Also, earlier in the chapter in verses 13 and 14, Jesus talks of the narrow gate and how only “a few find it”. How incredibly heartbreaking.

There is another passage from Jesus Himself in Matthew 25:1-13. It is referred to as the Parable of the Ten Virgins (mentioned a few weeks ago). These ladies signify the church, Christ’s bride, awaiting His return or Second Coming, as He is the Bridegroom. To the half that is not ready for His return, He will tell them, “I don’t know you”. Can you imagine the horror on this future day? Keep in mind that Jesus spent much of His time expressing displeasure with hypocrites and teachers of the law – those who viewed themselves as the most holy and religious and were viewed as such. Do you think they believed they were going to Hell?

I propose that there are people sitting beside you at church, in the choir, serving at VBS, in Bible studies, etc. who have not surrendered their lives to the Lord. As it stands today, they will not enter eternity with Jesus. Only God can truly know the position of their hearts, but we should encourage each other into a clear faith commitment and total

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submission to God and His will in our lives.

Believing that God exists is not enough. Doing so only puts you on the same level as demons, for they “believe that – and shudder” (James 2:19). Yet their goal is evil. We are saved by grace through faith in the God who mercifully sent His Son to die for our sins. Then, God defeated death and sin by raising His Son from the dead. May we believe and have peace about our future Day of Judgment.

Remember that we are not saved by our good works (Ephesians 2:89). Rather, our good works are a demonstration that the faith we have in Him has taken root and produced fruit (James 2:14-26). May your life abound in good works in the days ahead!

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Conclusion Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7 Let me stress that it was not my goal to convince you of anything other than the need for a deeper study of God’s prophetic word on your own.

God gave you a brain and a heart to look into spiritual matters yourself.

You may have been able to deduce the way I lean on a particular prophetic topic, and that’s okay. Don’t be offended if we see things differently.

It has also been my goal to sound the alarm to Christians about America’s impending downfall. If you are not awake to this and have read this devotional, you will not be able to claim ignorance when things head south. Focus your time and energy on feeding your spiritual hunger through a deep and personal walk with the Lord, and in your witness through word and deed in everyday circumstances. A day may be coming when your faith will be exercised like never before.

I hope you have taken advantage of the weblog over the course of this month (feedthehunger.org/category/josephs-perspective/). If not, let me remind you that you can find the previous devotionals there. It is also a forum, so if you have any questions that you would like for me to (try to) answer on this devotional or other subjects, just make a post. We will also post other stories and updates from the ministry on a separate blog on the website. As always, there is a standing invitation to contact us with any questions, concerns, or prayer requests.

If I could leave you today with one passage to encourage you regarding prophecy, America’s troubled future, and the End of the Age, it would be from perhaps an unlikely book in the Bible. These words above from Proverbs 3:5-7 express what I am trying to say in Terminus, and are a bottom line for our lives.

Let me close with these thoughts. We looked at some troubling passages yesterday about the failure to stand firm in our faith. I encourage you and warn you to stand for Christ in these troubling days. We must stand with Him at all costs, even our very lives. The price is great if we do not. Jesus warns us in Matthew 10:32-33 that if we disown Him before

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others, He will disown us before God. Let’s be found faithfully serving the One who deserves our very lives. Amen!

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