Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Apostle John Views the Cup of God’s Wrath - by pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2020/12/apostle-john-views-cup-of-gods-wrath.html
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” (Revelation 15:1) As we progress through this “Apocalyptic book”, you can envision how the destruction grows in a crescendo type of judgment on this earth. The past chapters were bad and God has been escalating His judgment on this earth to bring mankind either to repentance, or near total annihilation of all things that breath air on the planet we call the earth. It has been mankind's home for nigh 6000 years, but now she is the abode of his coming death and her grave as the nations are receiving just rewards for their rejection of God's only plan for salvation, through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. Let us look at what will be coming, possibly in few short years, that mankind in the majority is blinded to what is in front of them. We noticed that in Chapter 14, that John described the near total destruction of the nations leading up to the battle of Armageddon, but here John goes back to describe in more detail what has happened to bring the world to this place. It is common in Bible prophecy to state and re-state in further details that is also common in Hebrew literature. It seemed even back in the end of chapter 6, that the end was near, but John takes us back and forth giving more detail and expanding the canvas that he has sketched of what he saw. Revelation is not totally chronological, but the overall picture is speaking of the division of the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation, as judgment is explained more deeply. These seven angels having the seven last plagues: This idea is also in Leviticus 26:21: “Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.” These seven last plagues are God’s judgment on a disobedient and contrary world. The opening verse reveals that God's wrath is waxing hot and He is not just blowing off steam, but will fulfill His eternal purpose releasing His righteous indignation in all its fury. 2 "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”( Revelation 15:2-4) The sea is designed to reflect the glory of God. In chapter 4 its description ‘like unto crystal’ speaks of the holiness of God. Here the sea mingled with fire speaks of divine judgment proceeding from God’s holiness. Some see the analogy in verse 2 correlating to the Exodus of the people of God through the Red Sea, escaping the persecution of this world, although many of them were subject to martyrdom due to their faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. They are not losers, as they have received victory in the spiritual sense that they believed what Jesus said in their Bible. They are Tribulation saints who have given up their mortal life for eternal life. 25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26, For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26) These Tribulation saints stand either on or beside a sea of glass, which is a reflection of God's Word. Here they stand on the Word, as it is connection to the Temple of Israel to be washed in the tabernacle laver to make themselves clean. Notice they sing a song. A song of Moses which is their patriarch ancestor that led their fathers out of Egypt and out of sin. Does this mean that they are mostly from the house of Israel? Although it could be, it is also possible that they are partakers of the seed and promise of Abraham and are considered the New Israel along with those of Jewish birth. It is said that the song they sing is also called the “song of the Lamb” as they join the promises of the Old and the New Testament into one song.....But hold your breath, as judgment is falling and hardly any man or woman will escape the fiery wrath of Almighty God. 5 “And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” (Revelation 15:5-8) Here God's anger is revealed by 7 angels that bring seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God. The anger of God is so hot, that smoke fills the heavenly tabernacle and no one can enter into His presence until His vengeance through these plagues is finished. This declares that judgment was now irreversible. This also happened in the time of Moses when the Shekinah glory filled the wilderness tabernacle and no man could enter within. Now nothing could hinder it any longer, because access to this temple in heaven would not long be denied. This is the heavenly Temple in heaven that the earthly temple that was a copy on earth, but is seen in its reality The seven angels come directly from God and do not act on their own authority, but have been given orders directly from God Almighty. They are clothed with white linen and golden girdles that signify the holiness of God's righteous anger The King James translation is vials of plagues, but the literal translation from the Greek is saucer like bowls that were used in the Temple of God on earth, and now in heaven to hold incense from the altar of God that will be poured out. CHAPTER 16: THE BOWL JUDGMENTS “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.” (Revelation 16:1-2) Each of these plagues remind us what came upon Egypt that brought similar plagues and God's judgment on that nation for the idolatry and failing to follow the commands of God and let Israel go. 8 “And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt”. (Exodus 9:8-9) So God brings the same type of plague on mankind in these end of days called the Great Tribulation that falls on every man and woman who has the mark of the Beast and worship his image, much as the people of Egypt worshiped false gods ,and even Pharaoh himself. 3 “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” (Revelation 16:4-6) Even as the Egyptians killed the children of Israel and threw their sons to the crocodiles, God had given them also, blood to drink, as they have worshiped false gods who are not gods, and have slain the innocent and spilled their blood. Can you even imagine the smell and the death as sea creatures are washed ashore and die with rotting flesh covering the whole earth in the rivers and the seas? Let alone, no one can drink the water, as it is poisoned. We know that man cannot live without water for 3 days, so unless the government on earth has stored water, they will soon all die. This tells me just how quickly these plagues lead to the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ to rule and reign, as men will not be able to stand against this onslaught of the wrath of God. 7 “And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. 8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” (Revelation 16:7-9) God will cause the sun to become either closer to earth to provide this intense heat, or the ozone layer is destroyed and the rays of the sun cannot be filtered and the inhabitants are at the mercy of intense UV radiation and its intensity of heat. It says that it will scorch men. Will it burn those who cannot escape to the point of death and dehydration? Remember there is not water that is not blood, so unless they have a alternate resource of stored water, the sun will dry them as so much beef jerky. Although mankind is going through the most intense judgment and men are dying all around those on the earth, they will not repent and give God glory and turn from their wicked ways. Those who have taken the Mark of the Beast have no recourse, as there is no forgiveness of those who worship the Beast and take his mark, but those who have somehow managed to escape have a slim chance of repenting of their unrighteousness and turning to God to receive forgiveness and God knows, they will not. 10 “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:10-11) What are we to make of the darkness that falls on the whole earth, either the governmental agencies of the Beast power or the total inhabitants of the earth? The darkness is synonymous what was experienced by ancient Egypt where the darkness caused intense pain and gnawing of their tongues. I believe it is a taste of hell and what they are coming to. It gives them a taste of the torment that is coming, which is beyond what they are experiencing here, but they will not repent, even covered with painful sores. Those under the judgment of this fifth bowl stand, as it were, on the shores of the lake of fire and on the cusp of being lost forever in what Jesus called “outer darkness”. The great evangelist C.H. Spurgeon had a take on these plagues that men face: “Judgment may produce a carnal repentance – a repentance that is of the flesh, and after the manner of the sinful nature of men. In this repentance the depravity of the heart remains the same in essence, though it takes another form of showing itself. Though the man changes, he is not savingly changed: he becomes another man, but not a new man. The same sin rules in him, but it is called by another name, and wears another dress. The stone is carved into a more sightly shape, but it is not turned into flesh. The iron is cast into another image, but it is not transformed into gold. This carnal repentance is caused by fear. Does not every thief repent of robbery when he is convicted and sent to jail? Does not every murderer repent of his crime when he stands under the fatal tree?” (Spurgeon) So it is not true repentance and to turn away from sin, but a realization of the fear that is taking a person to the pit of hell. Spurgeon followed this up with what it truly is: “This is real penitence, when the man gives glory to the justice of God, even though it condemns him. O my hearer, do you thus repent? Is sin really sinful to you? Do you see its desert of hell? If not, your repentance needs to be repented of.” (Spurgeon) 12 “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” (Revelation 16:12-16) Ancient Rome considered the River Euphrates a nature barrier from invasion from the East, such as China, or Mongolia, but here the river is dried up from the angel pouring his vial upon the waters. They are Kings of the East coming either to destroy Israel, or wage war on the European dictator, the Anti-Christ, either way, they are coming to fulfill God's purpose as He gathers them to a place called Armageddon where they will do battle with Almighty God. I have often wondered, if you knew that you were coming to wage war with God Almighty, would you be so careless and insane to fight against a Living God? Or have you been told that the problems that you face are caused by some “Alien Force” that you have been fed a lie that you can actually win against an alien invasion? I note that the whole world has been obsessed with “Encounters of the Third Kind” that has been promoted by Hollywood and the MSM that these apparitions we see in the skies are from “another world” since the 1970s into the 1980s even to our modern age ...Is it how they explained the missing of millions of people about 7 years prior and explained it as alien abduction? The whole world will unite behind one cause and that would be the extinction of mankind through an alien life force. Here they all gather to wage war, and it is by design that they are brought to the valley of Jezreel to either wage war with an alien life form, or destroy Israel on a list of things to accomplish in this to rid the world of these “pesky Jews” on orders from the Anti-Christ. Either way, they are heading for complete destruction and they don't even know who they are fighting until it is too late. Many have wondered who and what are these frogs that come from the unholy trinity of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. Israel has always considered them unclean, but Egypt revered them as gods. So here is another example of a duality of prophecy, as frogs also came upon Egypt in the plagues they experienced. These frogs are demons and these demons are like the lying spirit who led Ahab into battle (1 Kings 22:19-23). They are spirits of demons, performing signs: Again, signs and wonders are used by demons as tools of deception. The false prophet here is the second beast of Revelation 13. 17 “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” (Revelation 16-17-21) Here Almighty God has said “it is done”...there will be no more delays, no more chances, as God has stretched this judgment time out for many years now trying to get mankind to repent and turn away from His sin, and he will not. So God is going to finish wiping this earth clean of rebellion and the earth trembled and quakes greatly at His coming...who is coming....? Of course, Jesus Christ in power and great glory. Every island is moved out of its place, and every mountain falls flat and are not found....so great is this quaking as the earth rocks and reels like a drunken sailor. The chapter does not reveal yet the coming of the Lord, as that is chapter 19 and John goes into further details of the events to give breadth and substance to the portrait he is painting of what he saw. Judgment has been enacted against the prince and power of the air, could be why the angel is pouring out his vial into the air. The great city that falls, is it Jerusalem, or some other city? More like Babylon wherever she ends up being. Some say Rome, some say Mecca, and some say New York City, as I have explored each city as a possible suspect, but this side of the rapture, we won't know for sure as we can only speculate. The last plague mentioned in this chapter is great hail which the weight a talent is about 100 lbs....can you imagine great hail the size of a boulder raining down on the earth in abundance? The great hail will flatten anything that is standing built by men, or left of creation. The destruction will be almost complete...there won't be much standing when this plague comes upon the earth. Could this be leading up to the Battle of Armageddon and their express defeat, even before the battle even starts? Hail is frequently a tool of judgment against God’s enemies, as seen against Egypt (Exodus 9:24), the Canaanites (Joshua 10:11), apostate Israel (Isaiah 28:2), and Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:22). Even after all this suffering, men still will not repent. Why is that so. Some say that if I went through this kind of trouble, I would repent..and I say no you would not...why? I refer to what C. H. Spurgeon said about this: Despite all their suffering, many still will not repent. “I have known people say, ‘Well, if I were afflicted I might be converted. If I lay sick I might be saved.’ Oh, I do not think so. Sickness and sorrow of themselves are no helps to salvation. Pain and poverty are not evangelists; disease and despair are not apostles. Look at the lost in hell. Suffering has effected no good in them. He that was filthy here is filthy there. He that was unjust in this life is unjust in the life to come. There is nothing in pain and suffering that, by their own natural operation, will tend to purification.” (Spurgeon) So my reader, if you are waiting for things to go sour on planet earth and think you have time to repent, you may not get that chance. If you were unjust before the Tribulation, you will most likely still be unjust, as Spurgeon said. Calamity and judgement most like will make a person hard and the heart a flint of stone. WE CAN CALL THIS A GREAT CHAPTER -It describes great evil: a great city, great Babylon (Revelation 16:19).- It describes great tools of judgment: -great heat (Revelation 16:9), a great river dried up (Revelation 16:12), a great earthquake (Revelation 16:18), great hail and great plagues (Revelation 16:21). - It describes a great God: His great voice (loud is the same Greek word for great; verses 1; 17), and His great day of victory (Revelation 16:14). APOSTLE JOHN DESCRIBES THE WHORE OF BABYLON, chp. 17 “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.” (Revelation 17:1-5) Here the Apostle John backs up to give more detail of what the False Prophet and where he comes from. The use of the symbol of a woman in scripture always means a “religious” denomination, or earthly power that draws that power from men's superstitions about the supernatural and the natural. Using men's fear of the unknown, this “religious” order has committed fornication with the inhabitants of the earth, infecting the kings that rule the people to follow her without question. Fornication refers to worshiping of other gods, which take away from the glory of the True God of heaven. She has had power over the whole earth and has ruled them with an iron fist. I am reminded of the Middle Ages when a ruling theocracy held sway over the kings of nations and their armies to do her bidding. That same denomination will rise again and rule again once more along side the Beast power that supports her, but in the end, will destroy her with fire. Babylon is two identities that are linking and interwoven with one another...the first is Mystery Babylon, which this portion of scripture describes, and commercial Babylon, which is the secular portion of the union of church and state. Now where have I heard that before? Oh, yes, I know...during the rule of the “holy Roman Empire” headed by various popes,(a blend of church and state) Mystery Babylon is described as a harlot, a woman, a mother, and a whore. Identified with Rome, she is guilty of abominations before God and will go down in total destruction from the Beast power that she used to control. Commercial Babylon is a symbol of a great city. Is identified with a great port that accommodates large floating vessels of trade. She is a great marketplace, but guilty of greed and self indulgence and will be ultimately destroyed by God. It is best to see them as intertwined, yet somewhat distinct. Religious Babylon of Revelation 17 is judged at the mid-point of the seven-year period of tribulation. Commercial Babylon is judged at the end of that period. It is conceivable to think that Babylon may not be a actual city, as the ancient area of Babylon is in ruins, and even Saddam Hussein could not raise it. But many cities could qualify and the idea of it being New York, Mecca, or Rome could be what Jesus called this system, “the world”...not an actual city. “When the Lord was here on earth He spoke of the great hatred that ‘the world’ had for Him and His own (John 15:18,19). What is this world but a combination of religion, government and commerce? In other words, Babylon in all its parts stands for that which Christ called ‘the world.’ ” (Barnhouse) For me, the above verses relate to only one “woman” who has prostituted herself around the world and calls herself the “true church of Jesus Christ”. The above description if taken in comparison to what has happened in the past, and is happening right now, should give the reader a pretty good idea of who John is talking about, and who the angel reveals to him. As a religious system, Babylon came into being long before Christianity, but in Satanic imitation it anticipated the coming true Messiah. According to religious history and legend, the Babylonian religion was founded by the wife of Nimrod (a great-grandson of Noah), named Semiramis. She was a high priestess of idol worship, and she gave birth to a son who she claimed was conceived miraculously. The son, named Tammuz, was considered a savior. Many ancient artifacts remain with the familiar motif of the mother Semiramis holding the savior-infant Tammuz, which predate Christianity. It was also said that Tammuz was killed by a wild beast and then miraculously brought back to life. Baal was the local, Canaanite name for the Babylonian Tammuz. The Bible makes specific mention of some of the features of the classic religion of Babylon: Ezekiel protests against the ceremony of weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14) – Jeremiah mentions the heathen practice of making cakes for the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18) and offering incense to the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 44:17-19, 44:25) Sound familiar? THIS HARLOT HAS DESTROYED MANY LIVES. 6 “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth” (Revelation 17:6-9) Here the apostle writes of the woman drunken with the blood of saints, and only one religion that I can think of can be guilty of such high crimes. Some people try to say this is Islam, but the description does not fit the like of Islam, as she has never destroyed as many people, as has one religion that held sway over the whole known earth for 1500 years, long before Islam came on the scene, even though the Ottoman Empire did reign for a few hundreds years over a vast portion of the earth, they are not synonymous with this description. Today we have one religion that is calling all to come back to the “mother church' and create a one world religion of blended Protestantism, Catholicism, and a smorgasbord of other religions around the world. Many people believe that the woman is the Roman Catholic Church, and that may be totally true, but she is a conglomeration of many false religions blended into one with one man who will have complete control over how and what she does, and what she stands for, that is the False Prophet, who will be the head of a major religion and speak to bring worship to the Beast or the Anti-Christ. This head of this one world religion sits on 7 mountains on which this woman sitteth. Many have postulated where this area will be...one is Rome...and there are many others, but we have to take all the clues and descriptions of who this woman is, before we can make a positive identification of who she is....Many believe that the identity is the Pope in Rome. Some will disagree, but we have to look at what is going on right now with Climate Change, the Sustainable Development, and Agenda 2030 that is designed to rule this world and monitor every man and woman on this planet to follow a set of rules they will set in place. And who is the spokesman for this world initiative? He spoke at the United Nations and promoting this One World System. None other than Pope Francis who has charged his priest to preach this message in all their churches. The Catholic Review commented on this and said, “The unity of religion promoted by the Holy Father Pope John Paul II and approved by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is not a goal to be achieved immediately, but a day may come when the love and compassion which both Buddha and Christ preached so eloquently will unite the world in a common effort to save humanity from senseless destruction, and lead toward the light in which we all believe.” This is continued to be promoted by the current pope in Rome. So they give honor to other religions to join them in creating a united religion. Can you say One World Religion as prophesied in the pages of your Bible? WHO ARE THE SEVEN KINGS, AND IS THE EIGHTH KING? 10 “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”(Revelation 17:10-13) This is most confusing passage that gives one pause of to what verse 10-11 mean. But the whole passage I pass onto a brother of mine that I posted his hypothesize of what and who this is referring to and I find most fascinating...you can find it in the following link: http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2016/09/rise-of-anti-christ.html In the message, my brother makes a strong case of how and who will be the Anti-Christ AND the false prophet. Is he right? We won't know for sure, but make no mistake about it, this harlot church will be at the table of the power brokers when the world is ultimately united by force and deceit. 14” These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:15-18) Referring back to the battle of Armageddon, where Jesus comes in all His glory surrounded by the Church Saints that have been raptured 7 years prior, as this will be spoken of in detail in chapter 19, but notice that the destruction of the whore will be accomplished when the secular Beast will destroy the religion of the harlot and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. Mystery Babylon will be decimated and the Beast will demand worship of himself completely wishing not to have anyone stand in front of him, as Satan has indwelt this monster of a man who has desired worship since his fall from heaven and being an ark angel before God. The woman has been identified, her destruction is sure. The Beast power will eventually be destroyed as well, when Jesus comes to reign and rule for a thousand years, but we will cover that when next time, we look at the next two chapters to see the final end of the One World System with its government and its false religion. Stay tuned as we explore the coming “Return of Jesus Christ”, next time. See you then. This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying that you never see what I have described....to escape the coming wrath of God, admit that you are a sinner, repent of those sins and ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, by faith accept His mercy and grace..... 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”(John 3:16-18) 8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(Romans 10:8-13) 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”(2nd Corinthians 6:2) If you need prayer, counseling, or just a friendly listening ear, email me at [email protected]. God bless you all, TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET. Battlefield 2021 - By Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/12/29/battlefield-2021-by-terry-james/ Christmas brings to the Christian mind the thought of peace—the Prince of Peace is with us. So, this isn’t intended to damper that message in any way. The redemption offered by that miraculous conception and birth is indeed the good news of all the ages. I’m composing this commentary on that very birthday. But it will be posted beyond this most profound day of celebration. So, we look toward the new year—2021. Although there have been years of tumult during my many decades of life, with World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and a hundred lesser conflicts, the war we’ve been engaged in the farther into the twenty-first century we travel is more intense than any of those bloody, physical eras of warfare. So, while the Prince of Peace hasn’t yet assumed His earthly throne as He one day will, we face an epic struggle—as laid out precisely by Paul, the great apostle and prophet. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, where with ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:11–17) Before 2016, my observation was that this warfare was largely of the unseen realm; I believed it was veiled by the enemy so that it was hidden from view except on rare occasions when it flared and burst through that surface layer of obscurity. For example, the times when genocide reared its ugly head around the world, and when our national leaders decided it was okay to murder children still in the womb. But those horrors quickly emulsified and were absorbed into the hellish spiritual warfare described by Paul in the passage quoted above. Even Christians became numbed to such atrocity, and things again appeared more or less tranquil as daily life continues toward the new year. Life is no longer so tranquil, as we can testify from the issues and events of the last half decade. The surface that formerly obscured the boiling evil just beneath it now erupts almost hourly with issues and events that seem to indicate the lateness of the prophetic hour. The battlefield being prepared for the most horrific war on humanity ever to be waged. We’ve entered that “evil day” prophesied by the Apostle Paul. A quick look at his list of the characteristics of end-times man listed in 2 Timothy chapter 3 makes that clear when considering our minute-by-minute news stories. People are “lovers of self” and “without natural affection” (consider the matters of homosexuality and of mothers giving up their babies to the abortionists). People are “traitorous” (consider the lying, deception, and treachery of the so-called Deep State over the past few years). People are “unthankful,” “unholy,” and “deny the power of God.” (Consider that at least half of the people in our country don’t object or protest when political leadership declares we can be any gender we want to be. They give it little pushback when man marrying a man and woman marrying a woman is legally approved to be not only equal to the way God prescribed for marriage, but is declared preferable to the way the Creator has given.) Without meaning to frighten or spread panic, the world as configured presently doesn’t have its best days just ahead, as often declared by optimistic politicians. That “evil day” instead lurks somewhere in the murky future. As Shakespeare’s witch would put it, “Something wicked this way comes.” The year 2021 indeed looks to be fraught with, particularly, war of a spiritual nature. Paul, again, has told about the kind of war we face, and he’s outlined precisely how to successfully prepare for it and engage those wicked enemies in high places. The good news, now! This same Jesus, whose coming to earth in the form of a baby, as God in flesh, we just celebrated, is now full grown and sitting at the right hand of God the Father. He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing). He promised that He will return to put an end to all wickedness. He has promised to bring all who believe in Him to live with Him forever in heavenly dwellings that He, Himself, has prepared for us (John 14:1–3). The reality that He will soon call His people—the Church—to Himself in the Rapture is something we should trust. We’re instructed to be looking up and listening for His shout, ”Come up here!” (read Luke 21: 28 and Revelation 4: 1). Meantime, while we’re awaiting that spectacular moment, each of us should be a spiritual warrior in God’s royal ambassador service. The Prince of Peace is on His way! Battlefield 2021 is one that might well see the most glorious victory ever to put an end to warfare on planet earth! The Best Of Humanity, And The Worst Of Humanity… - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/the-best-of-humanity-and-the-worst-of-humanity/ There are moments that restore our faith in humanity, and there are also moments that destroy it. We were created to love and to be loved, and in this article I will share a couple examples of incredible acts of love. But there are many others that have become so twisted that they will engage in unspeakable acts of evil without even thinking twice about it. Of course on Christmas Day we witnessed an unspeakable act of evil when Anthony Quinn Warner blew himself up in front of the AT&T building in downtown Nashville. But even in the midst of such a great tragedy, incredible things happened that are making headlines all over the globe. Light and darkness often coexist side by side, but sometimes things get so dark that we forget that the light is still there. One story that encouraged me lately was the story of a 7-year-old boy named Eli that rushed into a burning home to save his 22-month-old sister… It was a typical night at the Davidson household in New Tazewell, Tennessee, on December 8. Chris and Nicole Davidson fed their three children dinner, tucked them into bed and were asleep by 8:30 p.m. Hours later, Nicole Davidson woke up to the smell of smoke. Within minutes, the family’s home was up in flames — and 22-month-old Erin Davidson was trapped in her room. Sometimes being really small is a huge advantage, and Eli was able to use his small size to squeeze through a window and grab little Erin from her crib before it was too late… “The smoke and fire was so thick there was no way I could get to her,” Chris Davidson told CNN. “We went outside to get to her from the window, but there was nothing for me to stand on to reach up there. So I picked up Eli, who went through the window and was able to grab her from her crib.” Acts of great self-sacrifice are representative of the best of humanity, but we are also reminded of the worst of humanity on a daily basis. For example, yesterday I came across a story about three men in Florida that I wish I could get out of my mind… Three men, including the rapper Splash Zanotti, allegedly demanded $20,000 and sexually assaulted a woman after breaking into a South Florida home, police said. Splash Zanotti, whose real name is Kejuan Campbell, along with Dionte Alexander-Wilcox and Antonio James allegedly broke into the Miramar, Florida home in October by pointing a gun at one of the homeowners, according to a federal affidavit. The men, all armed with firearms, proceeded to force both homeowners on the ground and assaulted them. The specific details of what they did to the woman are too sickening for this article. Men like this have no place in our society, and it is actually a tremendous indictment of our society that we keep producing incredibly sick and twisted people like this. But not everyone turns out this way. In New Jersey, a couple named Rebecca and Robert Kolas have brought six orphaned siblings into their home so that they would not be separated. Needless to say, this has not been easy on their finances, and Rebecca says that they have mortgaged their home “as much as possible” in order to pay for it… Rebecca, who is managing attorney of the Community Health Law Project which advocates for those with disabilities, and Robert, who works for the Tom River Public Works Department, have asked New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency for help in making more space for the kids. “My home is mortgaged as much as possible to pay for it,” Rebecca explained. Why can’t our society produce more good hearts like that? And why can’t we send people like Rebecca and Robert to Washington to represent us? Instead, our system of government seems to greatly attract power-hungry control freaks that love to make life miserable for all the rest of us. Things have gotten particularly oppressive during this pandemic. The rules that our politicians have imposed upon all of us have resulted in some very crazy outcomes, and we are seeing things that I never thought we would see in this country. For instance, just recently the manager of an AMC Theater in Jacksonville, North Carolina banned a disabled child from entering because she wasn’t wearing a mask… Family members were masked up. However, the child, who was in a baby stroller and is non-verbal, was not wearing a mask. She reportedly has a condition that precludes her from wearing either a mask or a face shield. How cold-hearted do you have to be in order to do something like that? When the family indicated that they didn’t want to leave, the manager of the movie theater actually summoned the police… Police were summoned to the theater and escorted the outraged family outside. Yes, this is actually happening in America in 2020. Sadly, the people with the most money and the most power are often the most psychotic of them all. By now, you have probably heard that in the name of “science” Bill Gates would actually like to partially block sunlight from reaching our planet… A bizarre-sounding plan to save Earth funded by tech guru Bill Gates is “quietly” moving forward. The plan — to dim the sun’s rays and their impact on the earth — is reportedly all in the name of helping to revitalize the environment and thus save the human race. This is one of the most foolish plans that I have ever heard, but Bill Gates is very serious about this. Without the light of the sun, life on Earth could not exist. We can barely feed everyone on the planet right now during the best of years, and partially cutting off sunlight would make it much more difficult to grow food. Why in the world would anyone want to do such a thing? We live at a time when evil is out of control all over the planet, and it is only going to get worse in the years to come. But whenever the wickedness seems too overwhelming, it will be important for us to remember that love is still changing hearts all over the globe. All throughout human history we have witnessed a battle of good vs. evil, and that will definitely be true during this chapter of human history as well. And even though hatred is rising all around us, we want to make sure that our hearts are always filled with love, because love will win in the end. Daily Jot: The Revolution – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com There has been an ongoing progressive revolution in this country for over two decades, and historically, maybe over 110 years. Progressives, the polite term for socialists or communists, keep chipping away at the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, waging class and race warfare, and changing social norms with the end game of toppling America. The way of socialists is to convince its constituents that life will be better after they are in control, then establish a one-party totalitarian system where everyone except leadership is under the thumb of a dictatorship. We all may remember Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s promise, “We do not have to invade the United States, we will destroy you from within.” Khrushchev knew what his fellow predecessors understood for generations—that with about 3% of the population’s support, he could successfully overthrow a nation with a predominantly nonviolent revolution. In 2011, Harvard political scientist Erica Chenoweth published research of hundreds of revolutions indicating that nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts, and get this: those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population HAVE NEVER FAILED to bring about change. What have we seen since 2016 when Donald Trump was elected president but a steady protest of a certain leftist belief system? And quite frankly, like it or not, they have been very successful. Their 3.5% seems a lot larger than that. But Khrushchev also knew, in his own words in 1964, “The press is our chief ideological weapon.” Pollster George Barna says that 70% of Americans profess to be Christian. This is a far greater segment of the population than 3.5%. But Barna’s research also indicates that of that 70%, only 6% possess a biblical worldview, and only 2% of 18-29 years old possess a biblical worldview. Barna says, “Christians are developing more and more decidedly unchristian beliefs, demonstrating that many of these professing Christians are in fact un-professing pagans.” He writes, “Americans appear to be creating unique, highly customized worldviews based on feelings, experiences and opportunities…that the objective of life is feeling good about yourself; that all faiths are of equal value; that entry into God’s eternal presence is determined by one’s personal means of choice; and that there are no absolutes to guide or grow us morally.” To me, this is exactly why our nation is giving way to the progressive/socialist movement. We have the upper hand, yet because we are accepting of an extra-biblical, emotional and self-indulgent biblical worldview, we are hardly what Christ calls in Matthew 5:13, “the salt of the earth.” And more like he says, “but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Which is what we are seeing in our society today. If your pastor is preaching the type of gospel described by Barna, it’s time for him/her to move on, or for you to move on. No excuses. With no absolutes, we tolerate everything and stand for nothing. As we go into 2021, don’t just say you are a Christian, be one. Let’s then see what the revolution does. Daily Devotion: Doing the Unthinkable - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. —Daniel 1:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/doing-the-unthinkable/ - Listen Their world, in effect, changed overnight. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Jews who had been ripped away from their family and friends and carried away captive to Babylon. And they found themselves in an environment that was hostile to their faith. It is not unlike many Christians today, whether they’re students in a hostile environment on a college campus or employees in a workplace where people have no interest in the things of God. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted the brightest and best of Israel to school in the ways of Babylon and use to influence other Jews. He basically wanted to turn these young Hebrew men into Babylonian men who knew the ways of the Babylonian world. In some ways, it was a great honor that the king summoned them to the palace. But in another way, they were exposed to great temptation. Yet in Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we see young men who were resolute. They wouldn’t compromise and eat from the king’s table. We don’t know exactly why they refused, but it was a big enough reason to make a stand. And there was a real intimidation factor to take this stand with Nebuchadnezzar because he was a cruel and powerful man. Yet the Bible tells us that “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank” (Daniel 1:8 NKJV). Daniel didn’t want to do anything that could hinder his fellowship with God. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood their ground in a seemingly small area, which I believe enabled them to stand their ground in a much larger area later in their lives. We all have temptations to compromise. That’s why, like Daniel, we need purpose and resolution because if we compromise now, we’ll regret it later. 
FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
|
|