Showing posts with label end times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label end times. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Dreams and Visions: Tsunamis, Asteroids, Nuclear, Earthquakes, Chaos

In my previous post, Rapture Dreams: Jesus is Coming Soon!, I shared with you numerous videos about the rapture that is going to take place very soon. Those who long for the appearing of our Lord Jesus are very excited about that, and we are getting ready.

However, not everyone is ready. And in case you weren't aware of it, there have also been many prophecies, visions, and dreams about tsunamis, asteroids, nuclear war, earthquakes, financial collapse, martial law, and chaos coming to America. Many have seen what the Great Tribulation is going to be like for those left behind, and it will be like hell on earth with total devastation and pandemonium. If you didn't know that already, then you are a little bit behind, and this article will help you catch up on the prophetic forecast a bit.

Tsunami and Flood Devastation to US East and West Coasts

"NewYork City Dream" Tsunami Warning!!!

Prophetic End Time Warnings from Little Children

Dreams and Visions Given to Dumitru Duduman

Urgent End Time Warning from the Lord

The Coming Wrath of God

Dream- Economic Collapse

U.S.A. Destruction Dream, Rapture & More

Very Detailed Vision about Tribulation Time

Horrific "Great Tribulation" Vision

Tribulation Dream 2019 #1

Tribulation Dream 2019 #2

Rapture Dream / Chaos

Judgment on America

Vision of violence on American Soil

Prophetic Warning: Worse than WW2

I hope that you have found these helpful. If you are not ready, then you need to be, because you don't want to be here for the Great Tribulation. As Jesus said, "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again." (Mat 24:21). I don't know how much of the judgments the Bride of Christ is going to be here for, but I do know the Lord is going to take his pure, spotless Bride up to heaven before the Father pours out His wrath.

If you would like to see what Scripture says concerning the sequence of events and the timing of the rapture, then I suggest you read the following:

Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ
Synching Up the Seven Seals with the Gospels
The Timing of the Rapture

Closing Words
No man knows the day or the hour when Jesus will come, but we do know from Scripture that He is coming soon. And He continues to repeat that urgent message to His saints through dreams, visions, and prophecies. We also know that Scripture clearly commands us to be ready for His return.

Jesus said, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." (Mat 24:44)

God is about to send His judgments upon the land, which will include cataclysms such as economic collapse, famine, war, foreign troops on American soil, nuclear weapons detonated over American cities, civil war, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis on both the east and west US coasts, volcanoes, asteroids, and contagious disease epidemics of the natural and man-made kind.

If you are away from the Lord in a backslidden state, or if you have never given your life to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you have never been born again, then I urge you to repent right now and ask Him for forgiveness. Turn your whole life over to Him, ask Him to come live inside your heart and take control of your life for you.

God loves you and Jesus loves you. He died on the cross for you and bore all your sins there. He rose from the dead and appeared alive to many people. He is exalted to the right hand of God, and He is coming back soon. There's no time left to waste. This post could be your final warning.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Image of Flood Map may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for Educational and Commentary purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Are You Rapture Ready?, Wars and Rumors of Wars, The 311 Moment, The Land Mourns in the Last Days, The End Time Plagues, Cosmic Rays IntensifyingPeace, Safety, and the Thief in the Night, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, Darkened Skies in the Last Days, my daughter's poem, Judgment of Babylon, her video called The Coming, and the other posts in this blog available through the Signs of the Times Directory. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

The End Time Saints

In my last article, Saints Alive in Jesus, I explained the meaning of the word "saints" or "holy ones" and who the saints are. Today I would like to narrow down our study of saints to just one book of the Bible, which gives us an excellent picture of the lives of the saints in these last and evil days. The word “saints” is used thirteen times in the book of Revelation, so let's examine each one separately.

The Prayers of the Saints
Communion with the Lord
First we see the prayers of the saints going up in golden bowls like incense before the throne of God.

“When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Rev 5:8)

“Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.” (Rev 8:3)

“And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.” (Rev 8:4). This shows that the angels have a role in carrying the prayers of the saints to God.

Could it be that even now, when the saints pray, the angels carry their prayers up to God's throne in golden bowls? It is my belief that this is true.

Time to Reward the Saints
Then we see that there will come a time for God to reward the servants of the Lord – the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear His name, the small and great alike. At that time the Lord will also destroy those who destroy the earth.

"And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." (Rev 11:18)

War with the Saints
The beast will make war with the saints and overcome them.

“It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” (Rev 13:7).

This same topic is covered in the book of Daniel. It says: "Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time." (Dan 11:33-35)

It follows the same pattern that we see all throughout Scripture, in which the righteous are persecuted. Abel, the prophets, the Lord Himself, and all the apostles in the first century were persecuted. So will it be with the end time saints.

The Patient Endurance and Faithfulness of the Saints
In the midst of all this intense persecution in the last days, the Scripture speaks of the need for the saints to have patient endurance and faithfulness.

“If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”  (Rev 13:10, NIV)

The NASB version of this verse uses the term "destined" to refer to the fact that certain people are appointed to suffer a certain fate. If it is your destiny to go into captivity, then into captivity you will go. There is nothing you can do to change it. One way this will be fulfilled is by some of the saints being put into prison camps. If it is your destiny to be killed with the sword, then nothing can change it. One way this may be fulfilled is by some of the saints being beheaded. This verse agrees with what is written in the prophet Jeremiah, which says:

‘Thus says the Lord:

'Those destined for death, to death;
And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine;
And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’ (Jer 15:2b; cf., 43:11).

John also wrote, “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” (Rev 14:12)

The context of this verse is the period when the false prophet will arise, who will deceive those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast (Rev 13:14a), and who will make the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast (Rev 13:12b) and his image, and who will make people receive the mark of the beast (Rev 13:16). For the full context, please read Revelation 13 and 14, since I am merely summarizing.

John wrote: "And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six." (Rev 13:15-18)

Because of this, a solemn warning is given right before Rev 14:12, in which the punishment is pronounced that will be given to those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. The warning of punishment is this:

"Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.'" (Rev 14:9-11)

Now that we understand the context of Rev 14:12, we can see why it will require the perseverance of the saints. Finally, I want you to notice that the persevering saints are described as those who keep God’s commandments and their faith in Jesus. They remain faithful to Jesus and they also keep the commandments of God. For more on this topic, please see my articles Deleted Scriptures in the Bible?, The Law of Christ, Law of Love in the New Testament, The Glory of Martyrdom for Christ, The Mark of the Beast (666), and Is Obedience Optional?.

The Blood of the Saints
In Revelation, it says that God will be righteous in bringing His judgment on the ungodly when He does so. Since they poured out the blood of the saints and prophets, God will give them blood to drink. They deserve it.

John wrote, "And I heard the angel of the waters saying, 'Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.' And I heard the altar saying, 'Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.'" (Rev 16:5-7)

"And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly." (Rev 17:6)

"And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." (Rev 18:24).

The shedding of the saints' blood is not unique to the end time saints. This has been happening since the foundation of the world. Our Lord spoke of a long history of bloodshed of the prophets, spanning "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary." (Lk 11:51a).  He said that the generation of Jews who were alive at that time would be held responsible for it all.

God does not take very kindly to innocent bloodshed. Someone must be held responsible, and the same will be true of the blood of the end time saints.

Saints Rejoicing Over Judgment
We see the saints and apostles and prophets are told to rejoice over God’s judgment pronounced for them against Babylon. They rejoice because the judgment is pronounced in their favor, because it is just, and because it is against their enemies.

"Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her." (Rev 18:20)

When Babylon, the great city, is thrown down with violence and laid waste, the saints and apostles and prophets, and all heaven will rejoice. The destruction of Babylon is recorded in chapter 18, and the rejoicing is described in chapter 19.

John said, "After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.' And a second time they said, 'Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.' And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, 'Amen. Hallelujah!' And a voice came from the throne, saying, 'Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.'" (Rev 19:1-5)

The Righteous Acts Of The Saints
As I explained in my article, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, the Bride of Christ will be clothed with fine linen, bright and clean, which stands for the righteous acts of the saints.

“It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Rev 19:8)

The Camp of the Saints
The saints will enjoy peace during the Millennial reign of Christ on earth, while the devil is locked up in the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-6). But when he is released from the pit, he will deceive the nations, who will gather for war against the saints. However, fire will come down from heaven and devour them.

“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” (Rev 20:7-9)

His fate is already sealed. For Scripture says, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev 20:10)

Putting it All Together
So even though the saints are persecuted on earth, and the beast makes war against them and overcomes them, and their blood is shed, there will be justice in the end. Their prayers go up to God’s throne in golden bowls as incense, and God will avenge them. He will execute righteous judgment against the wicked, and he will throw the devil, along with the beast and the false prophet, into the lake of fire and brimstone; and they will be tormented day and night forever. And the saints will rejoice in heaven, clothed in fine white linen. They will receive their eternal reward from God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Communion with the Lord" illustration is by my seventeen-year old daughter, C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her artwork on A Brush with Life.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this article, I also recommend reading The Afflictions of the Righteous, The Glory of Martyrdom for Christ, Even if it doesn’t happen like we expect, Overcomers in This Life, Deleted Scriptures in the Bible?, The Law of Christ, Law of Love in the New Testament, Is Obedience Optional?, Persecuted or Popular?, Rapture Revelation to Angelica Zambrano, Come Out of Her, The Rise of Antichrists, Rapture Beliefs of Church Fathers, and Synching Up the Seven Seals with the Gospels. You can access the Seeking the Lord Main Directory or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Synching Up the Seven Seals with the Gospels

In my previous article, Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ, I showed in each of the synoptic gospels, what Jesus Himself prophesied would happen before His return.  The sequence of events he foretold is the same in all three of the gospels. Now I would like to build on that study and show how those signs of the times correspond to the Book of Revelation, particularly the seven seals.  Each item in the column labeled "Synoptic Gospels" is based on Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Deception
The first thing Jesus warned about was deception.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
“Watch out that no one deceives you." [No corresponding seal in Revelation]

False Christs
The next thing He warned about was False Christs, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
“For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” First Seal (False Messiahs): Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Rev 6:1-2)

I include the first seal here for your consideration, because this could represent a false messiah. He's viewed as the good guy, riding a white horse. Since he's wearing a crown, it could indicate that he has been given authority over a nation or nations. He's going forth conquering and to conquer, perhaps with the aim of bringing world peace. I have also included the first seal below in the next sign Jesus gave us, since it could also correspond to that one, depending on how you look at it.

Also see my article called The Rise of Antichrists

Wars and Rumors of Wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, fearful events and great signs from heaven
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, fearful events and great signs from heaven, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” First Seal (Rumors of War): Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Rev 6:1-2)

Second Seal (Wars): When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (Rev 6:3-4)

Third Seal (Famine and economic chaos): When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." (Rev 6:5-6)

Fourth Seal (death by sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts): When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:7-8)

When the first seal is opened, the rider on the first horse has only a bow and no arrows.  He carries the threat of war, but no shots are fired.  That, to me, represents rumors of war as Jesus said. But when the second seal is opened, the rider is given a sword and power to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another.  That is war, unlike the first seal and it's rider.

Also see Wars and Rumors of Wars, The End Time Plagues, and The Land Mourns in the Last Days.

Persecution of witnesses, who will bear testimony for Jesus
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be Persecution of witnesses, who will bear testimony for Jesus, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me.  14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict." Fifth Seal (Persecution of witnesses):
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. (Rev 6:9-11)

Also see Persecuted or Popular?

Apostasy, love of most growing cold, betrayal, hatred, and false prophets; preaching the gospel of the kingdom
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be apostasy, or falling away from the faith, the love of most growing cold; there will be betrayal, hatred, and false prophets. Meanwhile, there will be the true witnesses preaching the gospel of the kingdom, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
"At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 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." [No corresponding seal in Revelation]

Under these conditions (i.e., persecution, apostasy, cold love prevalent even among believers, betrayal, hatred, and false prophets) will this gospel of the kingdom be preached in the whole world just before the end comes -- not under peaceful conditions, in which the righteous are dominating the world or reigning on seven mountains!

Jerusalem surrounded by armies, nearness of desolation, abomination of desolation, time of punishment
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be Jerusalem surrounded by armies, the nearness of its desolation, the abomination of desolation in the temple, and the time of punishment on Israel, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak."

“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written."
[No corresponding seal in Revelation]

Close up view
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus gave a close up view of what will occur in the holy place in Jerusalem.  It is the abomination in the temple that causes desolation to Jerusalem and the rest of Judea, which we now call Israel.  By combining the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew and Mark, we have him saying essentially, “When you see standing where it does not belong (i.e., in the holy place) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel...” (Also see Daniel 9:27; 12:11).

As the apostle Paul said, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." (2Th 2:3-4). 

Wide-angle view
And in Luke Jesus gave the wider view of the bigger picture regionally when this sign occurs, which is armies surrounding Jerusalem.  Luke recorded Him saying, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.”  So this is about the desolation of Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 30:7), and the sign occurs in that city.  Therefore, the holy place where the abomination does not belong is in the temple there.  In Luke, we have Jesus giving the wider view of the bigger picture regionally when this sign occurs, which is one of armies surrounding Jerusalem. (Also compare Zechariah 12:3 and 14:2-5).

Dreadful time of Great Tribulation
The next sign the Lord told us would occur is the onset of a dreadful time of distress, known as the Great Tribulation, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
"How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again."

"How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
[No corresponding seal in Revelation]

He spoke to His disciples about the onset of the Great Tribulation as something that would occur before His coming. The sign that occurs right before this onset is the abomination that causes the desolation in Jerusalem, and the armies surrounding Jerusalem that will bring that desolation to her. Those combined events will be the trigger that set off the avalanche of disastrous events to occur next, including this flight from Jerusalem and the onset of the Great Tribulation -- "great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again."  This will be the beginning of the period known as Jacob's Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), which Jesus called the time of punishment (Lk 21:22), when God brings punishment upon the Jewish people (Lk 21:23), and eventually restores them according to the prophecy of Jeremiah in his thirtieth chapter.

Nations Tread Under Foot Jerusalem
In Revelation, we do have a reference to the temple and Jerusalem during this period, which will last for 3.5 years: “Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.’” (Rev 11:1-2).

The expression in Revelation, “they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months” corresponds to the words of Jesus in Luke, “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

False messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be false messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Regarding the false prophet and the antichrist:
“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. (Rev 13:14).

When the people are saying ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ and ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ could it be a reference to ‘the abomination that causes desolation, standing in the holy place? Perhaps, but not necessarily.  It certainly speaks of false messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive many.  Many people will be drawn to these people like a spectacle. Crowds of people, who love to feed on that which is sickly or dead, will gather around the bodies of these false messiahs and false prophets. For wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Some of these false christs and false prophets could literally appear or materialize out of thin air in various locations, as one of the wonders they perform to deceive many. There will be these strange people from another place that will appear on earth very soon.  Some of them could even come down in a UFO. But in reality, they are demons that will come to deceive people. There will probably be videos of this online and emails with the links to those videos of such men appearing. This will be a temptation even for believers, which we will need to resist.

The Bible tells us what the end of the antichrist and false prophet will be. “And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” (Rev 19:20).

Signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in anguish, tsunamis, terror, heavenly bodies shaken
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in anguish, tsunamis, terror, and heavenly bodies shaken, which is the next series of signs to occur in sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
“Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’" (Mt 24:49)

"But in those days, following that distress, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'" (Mar 13:24-25)

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken." (Lk 21:25-26)
Sixth Seal  (Sun darkened, blood moon, stars fall to earth, sky split apart, mountains and islands moved out of place):

I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places…(Rev 6:12-14)

Also see Darkened Skies in the Last Days.

Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory
The next event the Lord told us would occur is the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

"At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Sixth Seal continued (Kings, great men, commanders, the rich, the strong, every slave, every free man hid in caves and mountains to hide from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb):

Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Rev 6:15-17)

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." (Rev 7:1-3)

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 7:9-14)

John tells us in the book of Revelation what he saw when the sixth seal is opened. Then he tells us what he saw “after this.”  Both the events of the sixth seal and what happens “after this” correspond exactly with what our Lord Jesus prophesied in the gospels.

Everyone on earth will see this event, even those who are not ready for it.  Those who are not ready will mourn (Zech 12:10).  Jesus said, “All the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming.” In Revelation, John said that kings, great men, commanders, the rich, the strong, every slave, every free man hid in caves and mountains to hide from the presence of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

At that time, Jesus said, “He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other,” and they will be gathered together in the sky to meet the Lord. Just as the Lord made reference to His angels gathering his elect from the four winds, so also John referred to four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, and another angel having the seal of the living God with which to seal the bond servants of God on their foreheads.

The apostle Paul wrote: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1Th 4:14-18)

John described what he saw afterward.  He said in part, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes…” He was told, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Also see my article called The Son of Man

Putting it All Together
Here is a condensed, summarized chart showing the signs that Jesus gave in the Synoptic Gospels corresponding exactly with the events in the book of Revelation, especially the seals in their divine sequence.

Synoptic Gospels Revelation
Deception
False Christs First Seal (Possibly a false messiah)
Wars and Rumors of Wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, fearful events and great signs from heaven First Seal (Rumors of War)
Second Seal (Wars)
Third Seal (Famine and economic chaos)
Fourth Seal (Death by sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts)
Persecution of witnesses, who will bear testimony for Jesus Fifth Seal (Persecution of witnesses)
Apostasy, love of most growing cold, betrayal, hatred, and false prophets; preaching the gospel of the kingdom
Jerusalem surrounded by armies, nearness of desolation, abomination of desolation, time of punishment
Dreadful time of great tribulation
False messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive Regarding the false prophet and antichrist: “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. (Rev 13:14).
Signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in anguish, tsunamis, terror, heavenly bodies shaken, sun darkened, stars will fall from the sky Sixth Seal (Sun darkened, blood moon, stars fall to earth, sky split apart, mountains and islands moved out of place).
Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory… He will send his angels…and they will gather His elect from the four winds... Sixth Seal continued (Kings, great men, commanders, the rich, the strong, every slave, every free man hid in caves and mountains to hide from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb).

An angel having the seal of the living God who seals the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.

A great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands…

They are those who come out of the great tribulation.

Our Lord Jesus compared these events to birth pains of a woman in labor.  Labor pains begin at a low intensity and build to a very high intensity to the point where they become unbearable, until finally the woman gives birth to the man child.  The labor pains begin at regular intervals that are spaced far apart in frequency, but as time goes on the tempo builds and becomes faster, as the pains occur more frequently intervals.

That is how we can expect these events to occur.  At first they will be spaced far apart at regular intervals, but then they will happen more and more frequently, until eventually they are happening so close together that there is no time to catch your breath between a particular sign and the one that follows it.  And when a particular sign occurs, it continues until the end.

The signs Jesus predicted were: deception, false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, fearful events and great signs from heaven, persecution of witnesses, who will bear testimony for Jesus, apostasy, love of most growing cold, betrayal, hatred, and false prophets, the righteous preaching the gospel of the kingdom, Jerusalem surrounded by armies, nearness of desolation, the abomination that causes desolation, flight from Jerusalem, destruction of Jerusalem, the time of punishment, the dreadful time of distress,  the onset of the Great Tribulation, false messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive, signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in anguish, tsunamis, terror, heavenly bodies shaken.  Only after all of these signs will the Son of Man be seen coming in a cloud with power and glory with all His holy angels with Him to gather the elect to Himself.  That is when the rapture will occur. As Jesus said, "be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time."

With regard to the saints going through the entire Great Tribulation, I do not believe that will happen, unless you are a saint who is not ready for the rapture.  I believe that the saints will see the onset of the Great Tribulation, in which the abomination that causes desolation occurs and Jerusalem is destroyed. We will see the days of darkness when the sun and moon do not give their light, and other things happening during that period, which correspond to the first six seals of Revelation, as I have already mentioned.  However, let us not forget that Jesus said, if those days had not been cut short, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

The final events that Jesus said would be signs to occur before his coming will happen at greater and greater frequency, so that the ones that occur after the abomination of desolation may happen within a very short span of time. This would mean that the saints only go through a very brief period of the Great Tribulation. So for the sake of the elect, whose robes are pure white and spotless, without any wrinkle, the Lord will shorten those days by coming, and sending His angels to gather them to Himself in the rapture.  Those who are not ready will be left behind to go through the 3.5 year Great Tribulation.  Those people will be here for the seventh seal and the wrath of God that follows. And believe me, you don't want to go through that!

That's why we need to pray to escape all these things.  "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luk 21:36).  It may not be possible to escape the part leading up to the Great Tribulation, unless someone is put to death for their faith in Christ, but once the Great Tribulation begins, I believe there will be an escape for the righteous, by way of the rapture.

These are the definite signs that Scripture says will happen before the Lord returns, and we see them taking place all around us.  It’s time to wake up, repent, and live a life of daily repentance.  We need to produce the fruit of repentance, walking in love and in the light, and serving the Lord.  We need to watch and pray, always being ready for Jesus’ return.  We need to live in holiness, righteousness, and truth. Then that day will not overtake us like a thief in the night.  The one who stands firm to the end will be saved (Mt 24:13; Mk 13:13). I plead with you to save yourself from this corrupt generation (Ac 2:40). Stand firm, and you will win life.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. The "Four Horsemen" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the companion article, Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ, where you will find a fuller treatment of the synoptic gospel passages presented above, along with all the Scripture references for them. I also recommend reading my articles listed below in this blog, which are available through the Signs of the Times Directory.

The Seven Seals Being Opened in Real Time
The 311 Moment
Times and Epochs the Father has Determined 
Are you Rapture Ready?
The Day of Our Lord’s Wedding is at Hand
Rapture Revelation to Ayodelle Sawyerr
Rapture Revelation to Claire Andoun Solomon
Rapture Revelation to Angelica Zambrano
The Timing of the Rapture
The Son of Man 

You may access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem
In order to know the signs that will happen before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should consult the synoptic gospels, where it is recorded what He Himself prophesied would happen. This is a study that shows what Jesus said would be the signs of the end times.

It's important to note that the context for these signs was that the Lord had predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. In response to that, His disciples asked specifically, “When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”  The following signs given by the Lord were a direct answer to that question:

Deception
The first thing He warned about was deception.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 8a He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived.


False Christs
The next thing He warned about was False Christs, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 8b For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.

Also see my article called The Rise of Antichrists

Wars and Rumors of Wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, fearful events and great signs from heaven
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, fearful events and great signs from heaven, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.


Persecution of witnesses, who will bear testimony for Jesus
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be Persecution of witnesses, who will bear testimony for Jesus, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

Also see Persecuted or Popular?

Apostasy, love of most growing cold, betrayal, hatred, and false prophets; preaching the gospel of the kingdom
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be apostasy, or falling away from the faith, the love of most growing cold; there will be betrayal, hatred, and false prophets. Meanwhile, there will be the true witnesses preaching the gospel of the kingdom, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 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. 12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.

Under these conditions (i.e., persecution, apostasy, cold love prevalent even among believers, betrayal, hatred, and false prophets) will this gospel of the kingdom be preached in the whole world just before the end comes -- not under peaceful conditions, in which the righteous are dominating the world or reigning on seven mountains!

Jerusalem surrounded by armies, nearness of desolation, abomination of desolation, time of punishment
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be Jerusalem surrounded by armies, the nearness of its desolation, the abomination of desolation in the temple, and the time of punishment on Israel, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.

Close up view

In Matthew and Mark, Jesus gave a close up view of what will occur in the holy place in Jerusalem. It is the abomination in the temple that causes desolation to Jerusalem and the rest of Judea, which we now call Israel. By combining the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew and Mark, we have him saying essentially, “When you see standing where it does not belong (i.e., in the holy place) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel...” (Also see Daniel 9:27; 12:11).

As the apostle Paul said, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." (2Th 2:3-4). 

Wide-angle view
And in Luke Jesus gave the wider view of the bigger picture regionally when this sign occurs, which is armies surrounding Jerusalem. Luke recorded Him saying, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.”  So this is about the desolation of Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 30:7), and the sign occurs in that city. Therefore, the holy place where the abomination does not belong is in the temple there. In Luke, we have Jesus giving the wider view of the bigger picture regionally when this sign occurs, which is armies surrounding Jerusalem. (Also compare Zechariah 12:3 and 14:2-5).

Dreadful time of Great Tribulation
The next sign the Lord told us would occur is the onset of a dreadful time of distress, known as the Great Tribulation, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Jesus was speaking to His disciples and took care to have us pray that our flight would not take place on the Sabbath. This applies to the Jews and Christians living in Jerusalem at this time. When they see the abomination that causes desolation, standing in the holy place, and Jerusalem surrounded by armies, they will need to flee to the mountains immediately. There will be no time to spare, not even to go inside the house to grab their coat to keep warm at night in the mountains. There may only be a matter of minutes to escape Jerusalem before it is destroyed, and it will probably not be more than an hour, so every minute will count!

I want to call attention to the fact that Jesus cared about the Sabbath. He did not want them fleeing on that day, since their flight would deny them the opportunity to rest and worship. But also in Jerusalem on the Sabbath, all stores and shops are closed, and all public transportation and taxis are shut down. So the only way to flee the city may be on foot or bicycle. 

He made a special note of how dreadful it would be for pregnant women and nursing mothers. If a woman is pregnant, she has special needs and if she is in the advanced stages of her pregnancy she may be impeded from walking fast or running under duress. She may need frequent stops, which would slow down her escape. If a woman is nursing one or more babies, they will be crying loudly and their needs will need to be met, including nursing and diaper changes. Those will add further complication to the flight from Jerusalem, since they are difficult to do while on the run, especially if the babies clothes become wet or soiled and there are not clean dry clothes or diapers on hand to change them into. And if this occurs in winter, it would present a particularly dreadful hardship for anyone fleeing to the mountains, due to the cold temperatures, but especially to these mothers Jesus spoke of.

He spoke to His disciples about the onset of the Great Tribulation as something that would occur before His coming. The sign that occurs right before this onset is the abomination that causes the desolation in Jerusalem, and the armies surrounding Jerusalem that will bring that desolation to her. Those combined events will be the trigger that set off the avalanche of disastrous events to occur next, including this flight from Jerusalem and the onset of the Great Tribulation -- "great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again."  This will be the beginning of the period known as Jacob's Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), which Jesus called the time of punishment (Lk 21:22), when God brings punishment upon the Jewish people, and eventually restores them according to the prophecy of Jeremiah in his thirtieth chapter.

False messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be false messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive, which is the next sign to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. [No record of this sign in Luke's gospel]

When the people are saying ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ and ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ could it be a reference to ‘the abomination that causes desolation, standing in the holy place? Perhaps, but not necessarily. It certainly speaks of false messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive many. Many people will be drawn to these people like a spectacle. Crowds of people, who love to feed on that which is sickly or dead, will gather around the bodies of these false messiahs and false prophets. For wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Some of these false christs and false prophets will literally appear or materialize out of thin air in various locations, as one of the wonders they perform to deceive many. There will be these strange people from another place that will appear on earth very soon. Some of them could even come down in a UFO. But in reality, they are demons that will come to deceive people. There will probably be videos of this online and emails with the links to those videos of such men appearing. This will be a temptation even for believers, which we will need to resist.

Signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in anguish, tsunamis, terror, heavenly bodies shaken
The next sign the Lord told us would occur was a period when there would be signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in anguish, tsunamis, terror, the sun will be darkened, the stars fall from the sky, heavenly bodies shaken, which is the next series of signs to occur in sequence.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 24 “But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

Also see Darkened Skies in the Last Days.

Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory
The next event the Lord told us would occur is the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Everyone on earth will see this event, even those who are not ready for it. Those who are not ready will mourn (Zech 12:10). But the angels will gather the elect from across the earth and from across the heavens for those who are in flight, and they will be gathered together in the sky to meet the Lord.

The apostle Paul wrote: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1Th 4:14-18)

Also see my article, The Son of Man

One Generation to See it All
Our Lord said that the generation which sees these things begin will not pass away until they have all been completed. He said, "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Mat 24:34-35). People, we are that generation which the Lord spoke of.

Putting it All Together
Our Lord Jesus compared these events to birth pains of a woman in labor. Labor pains begin at a low intensity and built to a very high intensity to the point where they become unbearable, until finally the woman gives birth to the man child. The labor pains begin at regular intervals that are spaced far apart in frequency, but as time goes on the tempo builds and becomes faster, as the pains occur more frequently intervals.

That is how we can expect these events to occur. At first they will be spaced far apart at regular intervals, but then they will happen more and more frequently, until eventually they are happening so close together that there is no time to catch your breath between a particular sign and the one that follows it. And when a particular sign occurs, it continues until the end.

The signs Jesus predicted were: deception, false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, fearful events and great signs from heaven, persecution of witnesses, who will bear testimony for Jesus, apostasy, love of most growing cold, betrayal, hatred, and false prophets, the righteous preaching the gospel of the kingdom, Jerusalem surrounded by armies, nearness of desolation, the abomination that causes desolation, flight from Jerusalem, destruction of Jerusalem, the time of punishment, the dreadful time of distress, the onset of the Great Tribulation, false messiahs and false prophets performing great signs and wonders to deceive, signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in anguish, tsunamis, terror, heavenly bodies shaken. Only after all of these signs will Son of Man be seen coming in a cloud with power and glory with all His holy angels with Him to gather the elect to Himself. That is when the rapture will occur. As Jesus said, "be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time."

With regard to the saints going through the entire Great Tribulation, I do not believe that will happen, unless you are a saint who is not ready for the rapture. I believe that the saints will see the onset of the Great Tribulation, in which the abomination that causes desolation occurs and Jerusalem is destroyed. We will see the days of darkness when the sun and moon do not give their light, and other things happening during that period as I have already mentioned. However, let us not forget that Jesus said, if those days had not been cut short, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

The final events that Jesus said would be signs to occur before his coming will happen at greater and greater frequency, so that the ones that occur after the abomination of desolation may happen within a very short time. This would mean that the saints only go through a very brief period of the Great Tribulation. So for the sake of the elect, whose robes are pure white and spotless, without any wrinkle, the Lord will shorten those days by coming to gather them to Himself in the rapture. Those who are not ready will be left behind to go through the 3.5 year Great Tribulation. And believe me, you don't want to go through that!

That's why we need to pray to escape all these things. "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luk 21:36). It may not be possible to escape the part leading up to the Great Tribulation, unless someone is put to death for their faith in Christ, but once the Great Tribulation begins, I believe there will be an escape for the righteous, by way of the rapture.

These are the definite signs that Scripture says will happen before the Lord returns, and we see them taking place all around us. It’s time to wake up, repent, and live a life of daily repentance. We need to produce the fruit of repentance, walking in love and in the light, and serving the Lord. We need to watch and pray, always being ready for Jesus’ return. Then that day will not overtake us like a thief in the night. The one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Stand firm, and you will win life.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Temple Mount photo from Wikipedia in the public domain.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

If you enjoyed this post, please see the sequel article called Synching Up the Seven Seals with the Gospels. You may also like the following articles in this blog as well as other posts in this blog available through the Signs of the Times Directory.

The Seven Seals Being Opened in Real Time
The 311 Moment
Are you Rapture Ready?
The Day of Our Lord’s Wedding is at Hand
Rapture Revelation to Ayodelle Sawyerr
Rapture Revelation to Angelica Zambrano
The Timing of the Rapture
The Son of Man  

You may access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.