God’s Plan Is Unchanged

Friday, November 11, 2016

“He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him” (Dan. 2:21–22). – Almighty God

Just as God raised up U.S. President Barack Obama who increased immorality, fiscal corruption, lawlessness, hatred, racism, and denigrated Christian values while exalting Islamic faith, so too, God has raised up President-elect Donald J. Trump to add his contribution to the end-times.

Trump’s election is by divine providence more than a referendum on Obama’s two terms of destructive reign. Obama himself said, that, “he’d consider Donald Trump’s election a personal repudiation.” It was. Trump, a self-funded billionaire, a pro-Israel and Washington outsider, has defied the elite, political and media establishments and the corrupt cronyism of Capitol Hill.

Trump’s election has ignited violence and riots in many cities in America. Anarchy and the spirit of Antichrist are increasing, especially against Christians who ultimately lose the struggle in this world. But woe to pastors and teachers who refuse to teach people the truths of these end-times.

Trumps election has elated Orthodox Jews in Israel. In fact, “The Nascent Sanhedrin is calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president-elect Donald Trump to join forces and fulfill their Biblically-mandated roles by rebuilding the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.” [BIN]

“We are poised to rebuild the Temple. The political conditions today, in which the two most important national leaders in the world support the Jewish right to Jerusalem as their spiritual inheritance, is historically unprecedented.” [11/10/2016 – Breaking Israel News]

“The Sanhedrin also recalled Putin’s connection to the Temple in its letter. During his third official trip to Jerusalem in 2012, Putin paid a late-night visit to the Kotel (Western Wall). When he arrived at the holy site, the Russian leader stood in silence for several minutes, offering up a personal prayer, after which he read Psalms from a Russian-Hebrew prayer book.” [BIN]

“An Israeli bystander called out in Russian, “Welcome, President Putin.” Putin approached the man, who explained the importance of the Temple Mount and the Jewish Temple. Chadrei Charedim, an Orthodox Hebrew news site, reported that Putin responded, “That’s exactly the reason I came here – to pray for the Temple to be built again.”” [BIN]

I believe Trump’s election is by divine providence end-time related. You may or may not know, but Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is married to Jared Kushner, a Jewish man, and in 2009 Ivanka converted to Judaism. Trump is an end-time, pro-Israel leader, among world nations.

I praise God for Donald Trump’s anti-establishment boldness. Yet, I offer this word of caution: do not let Trump’s election cast off your vision to prepare for the end-times. Don’t assume all is well. Israel, “the fig tree” (Matt. 24:32–35), has matured and flourishes, making our generation the last generation of this age. Soon, Pope Francis’ end-time identity of Rev. 17 will be revealed.

I’m concerned for the lack of discernment in the church, that Trump’s campaign promise and cry to “Make America Great Again” will deceptively destroy thoughts of the end-times. Prosperity and greatness have the natural proclivity of casting off vision and restraint regarding unbelief, the tribulation, imminent peril and destruction, and so too were the days of Noah.

The U.N. and Pope Francis’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is yet in full force and effect. WW3 is not far off, and the utter destruction of Damascus, Syria (Isa. 17:1) is even closer. The end-time, “covenant with many for one week” (Dan. 9:27) with Israel is also very near. And the revelation of, “the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3) is imminent.

Unbelief of what God said results in His judgment. Always. The Old Testament bears out that repeated truth in the life of ancient Israel. Then too God said, “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Mal. 3:6). But the hyper-grace message so prominent today ignores that warning. Grace may postpone God’s judgment for unbelief, but judgment will certainly and eventually come.

The eventuality of judgment for unbelief is largely lost in today’s church. The safeguard from judgment is this, that, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart” (Deut. 6:5–6). Then God restated that safeguard for the New Covenant.

“And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31).

As people with the Bible, therefore, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13–14). This includes our beliefs.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight [and] we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:7, 9–11). Herein, I also try to persuade men to believe God on otherwise ignored and disbelieved truths.

At the giving of the Law, God said to Moses, “I will raise up for them [future Israel] a Prophet [meaning Christ] like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him” (Deut. 18:18–19).

Reaffirming that truth, afresh, Peter preached, “Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet [Christ] like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear [believe] that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people’” (Acts 3:22–23).

Yet, many modern hyper-grace prophet/preachers cast off the sobriety of the gospel with humor to attract and keep crowds. Was God joking? Is salvation so cheap? No! Yet, many ministers of the gospel present it in such a way as to strike the congregation’s funny-bone rather than detailing the utter sobriety and holiness of, “the narrow gate and difficult way” (Matt. 7:14).

Christ forgives confessed sin, but He will not forgive unbelief. Therefore, the Spirit said, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, for the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). And now to clarify that enduring truth: to effectively believe, “in the Son”, means that we must, “believe the Son”. Otherwise one is lost.

Unbelief of what Christ taught will bring judgment. That judgment will likely not manifest immediately, for thus is God’s grace, but if unbelief persists, it will in the end lead to judgment and destruction. That’s not my word, but the certain and sure Word of God. And remember, the Holy Spirit said, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

Consider the “elect” and the promise God made regarding when He, “gathers His elect”. The “elect” are the faithful of ancient Israel, and includes dead and living post-Calvary true Jews.

From the Old Covenant, “For Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me” (Isa. 45:4). And of the millennial reign, “I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there” (Isa. 65:9).

Post-Calvary: “he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Rom. 2:28–29).

Consequently, God calls His “elect” throughout the New Covenant. “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” (Luke 18:7). And, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect” (Rom. 8:33).

“What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect [those of faith in Christ] have obtained it, and the rest were blinded” (Rom. 11:7). And, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” (Col. 3:12).

“Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). And, “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect…” (Titus 1:1).

Thus, all Old Covenant saints, together with deceased and living New Covenant saints, are one body called God’s “elect” and will together be raised up, raptured, “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54), “at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51–52), at “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4–6).

Therefore, in accordance with the Son of God, “Immediately after the tribulation…He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt. 24:29–31). Are you prepared to endure?

Marlin J. Yoder

About the author

I'm a non-denominational ordained minister, and have written TheFridayLetter.com for many years and teach the truths of Jesus Christ with an emphasis on the end-times. This on-line and in-person ministry to which God called me helps many people to know the truths of Christ rather than traditions of men which make "the word of God of no effect" (Mark 7:13).

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