The war for the souls of mankind has been raging for over two thousand years. In my last two articles, we looked at the first two woes, demonstrating that they both began in the first century, even though their greatest effect upon fallen humanity wasn’t realized until the sixth century. Moreover, these two woes have progressively gotten worse through the centuries until the present day. Today, we will look at the third woe that corresponds with the seventh trumpet giving us a glimpse at the end from the beginning; a time of great rejoicing in heaven because the war has finally been won. (Read Revelation 11:14-19). Hallelujah! It’s essential to understand that the Book of Revelation is not a static prophecy, nor a prophecy encapsulated for some future date. It is a very dynamic prophecy relevant for every age giving us direction, hope, and encouragement to stand firm in the midst of the war being waged for the souls of humanity. To fully understand the third woe, it will be necessary to review six chapters in the Book of Revelation and the important interludes, four separate acts, that we will discuss as they appear in the Book of Revelation. Bear with me during this heart-stopping drama, for it’s well worth the journey. Continue reading The Third Woe Ends the War
Tag Archives: Church
The Second Woe – The Muslim Invasion
The Bible says, “One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter” (Revelation 9:12). In my last article, “The Silent Pandemic of Mental Illness,” we discussed the first Woe that had its conception in the First Century but was not fully realized until the Sixth Century with the opening of the first mental hospital in Iraq. Today we will discuss the second Woe that also had its beginning in the First Century with a number of heresies coming against the true teachings of our Lord. Like the first Woe, this heresy against the Church would not be fully realized or have its greatest effect upon fallen humanity until the Sixth Century. After the sounding of the sixth trumpet that corresponds with the second Woe, a voice came from the throne of God in heaven directing the angel to, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates” (See Revelation 9:13-14). These four bound angels represent four strong powers that would arise and project an even more damaging heresy upon the Christian and Jewish communities. In the Sixth Century, Christians and Jews at the time lived peacefully in the area of the Euphrates River, also known as the Fertile Crescent, until they were conquered by Muslim invaders. These new converts to Islam in time were prepared for future incursions into the known world to kill and destroy (See Revelation 9:15). Continue reading The Second Woe – The Muslim Invasion
Seeing Through a Glass Darkly
If I could describe the world today with one word it would be an “enigma” (something difficult to understand). Everyone is trying to figure out everything from the latest prophecy to the latest conspiracy theory, and from the latest church doctrine to the latest tradition. The war is raging on social media and in the halls of Congress dividing the nation not between a few political parties but between every human being. If that’s not bad enough the war is raging in the Churches and between the growing number of denominations or sects. The whole world is seeing through a glass darkly. They look, they read, they try to figure things out and they simply don’t understand. People have read the entire Bible, and they still don’t understand. Everything seems like an anomaly, like the shifting sands of the Sahara Desert. As we fast approach the End, we no longer have time to try and figure out things on our own and develop our own little favorite doctrines at the exclusion of others. We don’t have time to seek after our favorite prophecies and sliced up sermons on the internet or social media. Simply put, we are out of time. Continue reading Seeing Through a Glass Darkly
In the Center of God’s Will
Living in the center of God’s will on earth as it is in heaven is a most amazing experience filled with awe. If I had only one prayer for all of God’s children living on the planet, it would be that they would all live in the center of God’s will every moment of every day. If that happened it would truly turn the world upside down. Imagine how that would look. The lukewarm church would no longer exist. Everyone in the church would be completely out of the world and following God’s will every moment of every day with both feet firmly planted in the Church, the body of Christ. They would no longer follow the ways of the world. Loving one another would be paramount. Every believer would live to serve others by learning how to recognize their real needs and immediately fulfill them with humility. No longer would they build up their self-esteem by displaying perfected self-images, beautifully crafted rhetoric, and the vanity of rehearsed mannerisms. True love would not be braggadocio but in humility would count others better than themselves (Philippians 2:3). What joy it would be to see God’s magnificent love radiate one to another in selfless acts of service. In an egotistical and prideful world, how can we ever get there? Continue reading In the Center of God’s Will
Brown Shirts and Lukewarm Christianity
Historically speaking both terms, brown shirts and lukewarm Christianity, have been used to describe a very dark period in the past with an astonishing relevance for today. The last Church to be described in the Book of Revelation had a very unique problem. They were neither hot nor cold, so Jesus Christ described them as being lukewarm. These end-time Christians held tightly to their professed religious doctrines but at the same time embraced many of the teachings from the world, which took precedence. These worldly beliefs could easily sway their behavior towards immorality willing to strike out violently at anyone who would disagree. In their hearts, they believed that they were Christians following the chosen path but in their actions they believed that they were on a higher path toward bringing renewal to a world or country that had lost its way. The match that lit the fire was believing that they were the only ones who possessed the truth, believing that everyone else must be false prophets or working for the enemy. This attitude of always being correct, even with known conspiracy theories, not only divides a nation, but it sends a very sharp blade right down the very heart of Christianity. Continue reading Brown Shirts and Lukewarm Christianity