Nothing that is happening in this deadly, upside-down, chaotic, Satan worshiping modern world comes as a surprise to those who know and believe the Holy Scriptures. For thousands of years God has used them to warn mankind that this day, and much worse days, were coming–and why. In around 95 A.D. Jesus had the Apostle John write the Book of Revelation which, for those who hear His voice, was a clear warning of what was to take place at the end of the end of the age in which we are living. We are currently in what Jesus called “the beginning of sorrows.” In Revelation 3:14-20 Jesus identified this modern segment of world history as the Laodicean Church Era by describing the character of the end-time church that would be in existence immediately before the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Notice that his description (vss 15-17) perfectly describes the religious quagmire that calls itself “the church” today. And since nations take on the character of their primary religion, the world, led by its various religious establishments, would become a hellish, chaotic pit of sin and degradation.

Today we are living in the early stages of what will become a world-wide, self-destructive civil war. What we see taking place globally is the introduction to the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. Read about that soon-coming time using the key word–Tribulation. The Book of Revelation reveals what the final year of this world’s existence, which John called the “Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10), will be like for those whom the Lord will not have been taken to a place of safety created for His Very Elect saints. There His obedient disciples will be protected and provided for as the world around them explodes into what will become World War III. Read God’s Place of Safety. Key word–Safety.

In Matthew 24 Jesus give us the ultimate warning of what is now beginning to take place throughout the world, specifically in the United States which God established to be His light to the rest of the world. Having failed to fulfill her commission, the Lord is making her the prime target of His wrath. The world is watching in wonder and astonishment as she rots from within, led by her once God-centered spiritual establishment that decayed to the point that the 12 apostles would not recognize her today because they would not recognize the church which their ministerial descendants planted on her shores. What makes Matthew 24 the Lord’s premiere warning is that it is there that He warns about Satan’s most deadly weapon of mass destruction–DECEPTION.

“THE WHOLE WORLD IS DECEIVED.” God inspired the Apostle John to write those words as recorded in Revelation 12:9. He also included the name of the deceiver–SATAN. This statement refers to the last day (year) of the world referred to over two dozen times in the Holy Bible as the “Day of the Lord,” the “Lord’s Day,” etc. The Prophet Joel labels it “the great and terrible Day of the Lord” (2:11). “The whole world” would have to include the various, competing, conflicting, contradicting versions of “the church,” all of which will be cast into the Great Tribulation which I believe will begin within eight years, possibly sooner. That is my GUESS. I have no word from God relative to time. I am judging by comparing what is going on to His Word.

In Matthew 24 Jesus warns us in verses 4 and 5 that the “many” would be deceived. In chapter 7 He warned that only a “few” would recognize His strait (difficult) gate, enter it and follow His narrow (restricted) way to salvation while “many” would enter Satan’s wide (come as you are, stay as you are) gate and follow his (pick a church-any church) way to destruction (vss13,14). God’s true, Very Elect saints have the means to withstand Satan’s temptations to sin–God’s Spirit of power and holiness. The Holy Spirit abiding within them enables them to repel the devil’s “fiery darts” of temptation by their having put on the “whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-18). The Apostle Paul is telling the Ephesian church that they (we) CAN withstand the enemy’s inevitable “darts” of temptation and stand unmovable against him.

In First John 3:7-10 the apostle tells us that “HE WHO ABIDES IN CHRIST DOES NOT SIN. HE WHO IS IN CHRIST DOES RIGHTEOUSNESS EVEN AS HE (JESUS) IS RIGHTEOUS.” He goes on to say that he who sins is OF THE DEVIL, that such a one HAS NOT SEEN GOD AND DOES NOT KNOW HIM, that JESUS CAME TO DESTROY SIN IN HIS PEOPLE (vss 6-8). Verse 8 carries a message that few have studied. Here John tells us that “He who is born of God (converted–not born again.) Read Born Again. Key word–Born. The spiritually begotten saint DOES NOT SIN, FOR GOD’S SEED (WORD) ABIDES IN HIM AND HE CANNOT SIN. The word “cannot” must be understood in its Greek context. The conjunction (can + not) is “dynamai” (can) and “ou” (not). “Dynamai” is the Greek prefix from which we get the word “dynamite.” Dynamai is a Greek word that literally means to be able, to have ability, to have the power to accomplish. “Ou” means no, not, never, absolutely not, in no way, not at all. These definitions are taken from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Simply put, the true saint of God can sin but absolutely refuses to do so. He/she has the power of God to resist Satan. This Truth is stated by Jesus Himself in Luke 10:19 where He tells His disciples that He has given them (and us) “… power over all the power of the enemy.” True saints of God today have that same power. Read Sin is a Choice. Key word–Choice. 2 PAGES

In today’s church world the masses will listen, and believe, almost preacher who proclaims “the truth” about end-times events, as well as any religious matter. Any long-haired, tattooed freak, any Hollywood “star” wearing a cross around his neck or in her earlobes or has a cross tattooed on his or her face can garner prime news time because he/she has “heard from God” about the future, or the present, or the past. People will believe anyone EXCEPT JESUS.

The disciples were wise enough to know that in order to learn anything about the end of the world and the return of Jesus to earth, they needed to ask Jesus Himself. They said to Him: “Tell us, when will these things be? and what will be the sign of your returning to earth and of the end of the world?” The question the disciples asked was a three-level query. They asked about 1) the end of the world, 2) the end of this final age and 3) His return to earth. The Lord’s answer lays out the history of the world from 31 A.D. until His return at the end of the 3 1/2 year-long Tribulation Period which will consist of the Great Tribulation (2 1/2 years) and the Day of the Lord (1 year). Later, as recorded in Matthew 24:14 He would add one more sign which we will explore later in this series.

Notice that Jesus did not immediately answer the disciples’ question. Instead, He prefaced His answer with a warning. We will pick up there in the following posting. L. J.