Friday, May 19, 2017
Shortly after WWII three important end-time event-markers occurred. As a result, within the evangelical church the next three decades were rife with preaching and teaching the end-times, but has now fallen virtually silent in the new evangelical church since about the early 1980’s.
First, the United Nations was “established immediately after WWII. It replaced the League of Nations. In 1945, when the UN was founded, there were 51 members; 193 nations are now members.” (Encyclopedia) The UN has become the ungodly seat of the New World Order.
Second, Israel was reborn on “May 14, 1948 when David Ben-Gurion publically pronounced the Israel Declaration of Independence.” (Wikipedia) Thus, “shall a nation be born at once?” (Isa. 66:8) and the ingathering of AD 70 dispersed Jews, Ezek. 37:1–14, began being fulfilled. This event specifically marked the beginning of the last generation of this age, see Matt. 24:32–35.
Third, the European Union was born when “in 1951 the leaders of six countries – Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany – signed the Treaty of Paris.” (Britannica) This was the revival of the fourth and final beast-kingdom, Rome, “dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong” (Dan. 7:7–8), out of which rises “the little horn”, the Antichrist.
These three signs were birthed nearly simultaneously and have now grown and matured together. But the church is largely asleep on its watch as pastors, teachers and leaders allowed God’s end-time truths and warnings fall to the ground. Culturally progressive religion has now become a runaway train of unbelief, stopping ears, casting off knowledge, discernment and truth.
Technological progressiveness has now overtaken the world, but few pay attention. Even fewer associate these advancements with the end-times “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe” (2 Cor. 4:4). Unfortunately, many Christians have now fallen into unbelief as they’ve been taught that our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will continue unabated.
This is one of the characteristics of Noah’s day when “in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:38–39). Noah preached of the coming destruction but no one listened except his family. The same unbelief is largely true again in prophetic fulfillment of the end.
In Noah’s day no one heard of rain, for the ground was watered up from the earth, not from the heavens down. Noah, “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5) whose Ark-technology no one in his day had seen, was mocked, as there was never before the need for such a massive Ark.
Likewise, many say in their hearts, “Where is the promise of His [Christ’s] coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). God said of our days that “knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12:4). The world pursues new knowledge for it makes life easier, faster and more secure. Or does it? Who is paying attention? Who discerns? Here’s who: the Spirit-led who personalize the end-time testimony of Jesus.
To demonstrate that in the end-times “knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12:4), my grandfather, born in 1899, lived the early part of his life, traveled, farmed, planted and harvested in much the same way people have done for thousands of years. Enter then the 20th century and increased knowledge suddenly birthed the industrial revolution replacing horses with tractors and horse-drawn carriages with cars. Air and space travel were counted as science fiction.
Millennial’s, “early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years” (Wikipedia) can’t comprehend a world without computers, cell phones, iPads and social media, while many born in the mid-20th century find it difficult to assimilate to the speed of new technologies. Out with the old and in with the new marks our day, not just for technology, but for older folks, especially those who firmly hold to biblical truths and values. Old-fashioned is out.
The mindset for most forty and under is that life is the way it’s supposed to be, better, but in fact expected to get much better. Most millennial’s welcome whatever science throws at them and call it good, while most of that generation has no idea, and nor does it care, that God said He is about to wrap up this age with what He called the seven-year tribulation, followed by Jesus’ return for His saints. Today, for most people, that simply doesn’t compute, no pun intended.
But not all science is good. Today it manipulates human DNA for evil purposes, even to create super-humans. Militarily, DNA-altered super-human warriors are the pursuit of many nations. Corrupted DNA of Noah’s day created non-redeemable giants and chimera via fallen angels, and just as Nimrod “began to be a mighty one on the earth” (Gen. 10:8), by DNA corruption, so too Antichrist’s mark of the beast will, necessarily, include altered corruption of the human DNA.
Antichrist’s “covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27) is near, to be followed by the mark of the beast 42 months later as he “causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the number of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:16–17), forever sealing one’s damnation, at which time the watchful, discerning and “counted worthy to escape” (Luke 21:36) “woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty day” (Rev. 12:6), the last 3 1/2 years.
Every stolen identity, cash theft, credit card fraud and cyber-attack give credence to a cashless society. Last weekend the cyber-world was shocked to see a European-based cyber-attack hold hostage many hospital computer systems by “Ransomware infections reported worldwide” as headlined by BBC Technology and others. And it’s getting worse.
Fox News reported 05/12/2017, “Cyber attack spreads across 74 countries; some UK hospitals crippled – We’re entering an age known as cyber-insecurity. There’s going to be a huge response from the public now that doctors and hospitals are being affected, there is going to be a huge shift in how people think about this.”
Note this old 04/11/2013 headline from Bloomberg Technology, “Swedish Banks Make Money by Saying No to Cash – Most of the country’s biggest lenders, SEB AB, Swedbank AB and Nordea Bank AB, have stopped manual cash-handling services in 65 percent to 75 percent of their local branches. They say cash is out as Swedes rely on credit cards, the Internet and mobile phones to make all their payments.” This cashless trend is increasingly attractive to all the world.
In an update to the above cashless story, note this 05/14/2017 headline also from Bloomberg, “In Cashless Sweden, Even God Now Takes Collection Via an App – The churches’ drive to keep up with the times is the latest sign of Sweden’s rapid shift to a world without notes and coins.”
Identity theft, cash thefts, credit card fraud and cyber-attacks must necessarily be brought to an end, and will likely come through the technological developments of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which demands a global redistribution of wealth in order to eradicate poverty and world hunger. But this will lead to more wars and the justifiable mark of the beast.
In the meantime the State of Israel is under imminent threat of attack by numerous terror groups in the Middle East. Many national leaders in that region want peace, they are tired of waiting for peace as the bloodshed and destruction is relentless. Pope Francis signed a Treaty with Palestine a year ago which greatly angered Israel, and he is now beholden to Israel for the same.
I believe Pope Francis being the head “of the great harlot who sits on many waters” (Rev. 17:1) will author the final agreement and “covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27), for he already “went out conquering and to conquer” (Rev. 6:2). He has united peoples, religions and cultures. He is a globalist in the first degree having won even the approval of many spiritually blind evangelical leaders and pastors. Pope Francis is a master deceiver but few have discernment to that end.
Note this 05/15/2017 apostate headline from Aleteia Church, “Pope Francis: I’m going to Fatima to entrust the eternal fate of mankind to Mary.” Will Catholics awake before it’s too late? It’s an abomination before God to pray to Mary or other deceased saints. Jesus Christ is our Advocate, not Mary. God said “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isa. 42:8). Yet, Catholicism holds steadfastly to graven images.
Will a fall solar eclipse herald the “covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27)? Note this 05/13/2017 headline from NBC 9 News, “The sun will disappear for an hour and a half on Aug 21 – The solar eclipse will be viewable for cities that fall in the horizontal path of totality from 9:06 a.m. in Oregon all the way to 4:06 p.m. Eastern time in South Carolina on August 21.”
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25–26). The fall of 2017 is shaping up to be prophetically riveting.
Are you born again? Have you confessed your sin and unbelief and believed Jesus Christ by true faith unto salvation? Are you Spirit-led and prepared in the truth and knowledge of the times of the end according to “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9)? If not, today can be your day.
Marlin J. Yoder
