Matthew 24:21-22

In Matthew 24: 21-22  Jesus speaks about the great tribulation.  It will be the most horrific time in all human history.  In verse 22 Jesus makes an interesting comment “for the elects sake those days shall be shortened.” We know the antichrist is to make a covenant with ten nations, Revelation 17:12-13 ,  Daniel 7:24 .  This covenant is for seven years or 2520 days on the Hebrew calendar.  The great tribulation is to last 1260 days but Jesus said this time would be shortened.  In Daniel 8:14 a series of days is recorded and of these 2300 days .  In Daniel 8:13 a holy one asks how long it will take to fulfill the vision, one event being the surrender of the sanctuary.  In Daniel 8:14 the answer was 2300 days.  Some translations render it, “the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”   Daniel 8:17 confirms this vision is at the time of the end and Daniel 8:25 mentions the prince of prince’s referring to Jesus who will destroy the antichrist but not with human power.  All these things culminate at the 2300 day mark.  Therefore the great tribulation will be cut short by 220 days because the time was 2520 days but events actually happen at 2300 days, a difference of 220 days.  This is a very plausible explanation of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:22 .  This would also indicate that when the antichrist makes the seven year covenant with ten nations 2300 days later Jesus will return.  The tribulation is yet future but if we watch that day and other days will not come upon us unawares, 1 Thessalonians 5:4 , Mark 13:37 .  At the time when these things take place there will be a remnant of Gods people who are alive and remain under Gods protection and they will be able to know much better than now the timing of prophetic events.  The key event to look for is that covenant antichrist makes because that is what starts the clock ticking.

 

THE INVISIBLE CHURCH

August 15, 2023

People do not seem to understand that when they follow the teachings of any human being excluding the Prophets, Jesus or the Apostles, claiming to be a teacher and preacher they are deceived.  Romans 6:16-18 , Jeremiah 17:5 , Psalm 118:8 ,  Isaiah 2:22 When you surrender to their teachings you become their slave.  All of what pretends to be Christianity in the world is of the world and false.  Ezekiel 34 is a prophecy , verses 10-24  began after the death of the Apostle John.  The many antichrists that John wrote about, 1 John 2:18-23 , and Jude wrote about, Jude 1:3-4 are the people Ezekiel refers to. These many antichrists that crept in are those shepherds in Ezekiel 34. This Satanic attack on the church resulted in pagans taking over and preaching a false God, Christ and gospel.  God then took complete control of the true church away from men thus abolishing the ministry and maintaining only the office of prophet because through prophetic revelation is how God would by His Spirit teach His people hence as John wrote, 1 John 2:20-21 , 1 John 2:27 true Christians do not look to men for spiritual truth. John thought at the time he wrote these words that the return of Christ was near as verse 18 says, “this is the last hour”.   The true church would go into the wilderness while the pagan controlled counterfeit produced many harlot sisters for the whore of Babylon.  The true church is symbolically invisible to the world as they do nothing that would gain attention but rather live quietly and peacefully keeping themselves unspotted from the world.  Those who are alive at this time are extremely small in number and hope Jesus returns in their lifetime.  They are scattered to the four winds and will be gathered from the same. They are not trying to fulfill the great commission as the Apostles already did that. They know that Matthew 24:14 is for a time yet future when an angel will proclaim the gospel and then the end will come.  These people are the elect saints of God, called and chosen by God, having Gods Spirit and are taught by God.  Peter tells us that the prophets of old were not serving themselves but the church, 1 Peter 1:12. A few other examples of this are the book of Lamentations , Joel and Jeremiah 25. Look at this world, it is in confusion and chaos of religion because Satan blinds the eyes from understanding.  The time shortly before Christ does return is to be one of total deception. Revelation 12:9 , so how can the churches today be correct?  Jesus, the prophets and Apostles have all spoken of the end times and everyone is deceived except the elect saints.  After all this great cloud of witnesses people still refuse to see the truth being played out before their eyes.

There are some of these people that have seen the confusion and know there must be a church that is separate from the worlds churches and they call this church the invisible church.  They look honestly at the worlds churches and see the divisions and disagreements in doctrine and somehow instinctively know that none of them are the true church.  They describe this invisible church as the only one that has the truth and were elected by God to be His special people and that they have come from both old and new covenant times being composed of former Hebrews, Israelites and Gentiles but are now called the sons of God.  In this they are correct but their knowledge about them is limited and they would never believe who they are even if they met one.  The invisible church is taught directly by Gods Spirit, divine revelation, just as were the prophets, Jesus and the Apostles .  This was necessary because of all the deception of Satan who blinds the eyes of the visible churches causing all the confusion and division as God revealed to Ezekiel in chapter 34.  This is what the end of the age is to be like, a great deception of the world.  Revelation 12:9  Numerous Prophetic warnings in scripture testify to this fact.  Therefore if you are in the visible worlds churches you are deceived.  No one joins the true invisible church, it is God who puts you in it.  People of the world select a church they like and join it but in the true invisible church God selects you.  Gods call is to come out of them not join them but human minds have been seared with a hot iron.  1 Timothy 4:2 , Ephesians 4:19  

Most people who attend church do not even know what the teachings of that church are. Many people just inherit their religion from their parents. Would you want to belong to a church that was not the true church, so then these churches either think they are the true church or that all churches somehow are.  Either way they would take great offense if told they are unconverted, devoid of the Holy Spirit, under the law and condemned to death.  The reality of their situation is to much for them to handle for the  deceived do not know they are deceived therefore they continue in the broad way that leads to destruction.  The reason God does not call and choose them is that God knows they would fail, commit the unpardonable sin and perish forever, so in His love He has assigned them to another time because He is not willing that any should perish but rather come to repentance. This is not a respecting of persons on Gods part but a loving protection for them.  God preordained those who will be in His kingdom in eternity it is just that not all will inherit the kingdom at once but in stages, each in their own order.  The elect saints of the invisible church just happen to be the first.

 Moral Decline

8/12/23

One of the common signs of a nation that is about to fall is moral decline, a steady downward spiral that usually begins with one or two sinful practices and over time adds more.  I remember a time when parents would have a daughter that got pregnant at 15 to 17 years of age and this was a great shame for the entire family but not today.  Premarital sex in 1940 was yet considered a sin but not today as parents get a hotel room for their children who go to their high school prom.  I remember when abortion was considered a horrifying evil but not today as many use it for birth control.  I remember when homosexuality was a great shame but not today and so transgenderism  is now acceptable.  What is next: beastiality, necrophilia, pedophilia ?  These perversions did not all show up at once but over time.  When a society accepts one perversion it will lead to others.   I am amazed at the great number of people that claim to be Christians yet accept and practice these abominations.  The truth, they are not Christians, their claims are empty words and are betrayed by their actions, they are hypocrites.  There is a growing movement in the world called progressive or liberal Christianity that believes modern social changes are to be accepted and that orthodox Bible believers are behind the times.  This church movement is a haven for people who do not want to repent of their sins but rather be accepted as normal.  This is calling good evil and evil good.  Someone who is a secret homosexual that would be expected to repent under orthodoxy need not under liberal Christianity.  The Bible’s orthodox teachings are heresy to liberal Christians.  If you doubt what I have written here look up liberal Christianity on the internet, you will get an eye full.  These LC’s have a goal to unify the Christian world with their teachings.  In truth they are in my view worse that many other groups as their stealth approach and $50.00 words confuse people as to their true motive.  It is good to remember the true words of scripture;  2 Peter 2:19 , 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 , Galatians 5:1 , Colossians 2:8   Try the spirit of liberal Christianity to see if it is of God or not.