Friday, January 3, 2020
Happy New Year and welcome to the year of our Lord Jesus Christ, AD 2020, the game-changer year, the primer-year for the final seven of this present age. On May 14, 2020 Israel celebrates its 72nd anniversary, and only eight years remain to complete the generation of 80 years of Psa. 90:10. Seven years of tribulation are ahead, and God wants His saints equipped to endure to its end, Matt. 24:13, when Christ gathers His elect “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31). Few Christians believe that, however, preferring instead the ear-tickling and flesh-pleasing pre-tribulation rapture deception that sadly divests them from the testimony of the Son of God.
Based on the May 14, 1948 rebirth of Israel, Matt. 24:32–35 and God’s Psa. 90:10 generation, in less than eight years the second coming of Christ at “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4–6), “at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51–52); “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44); when “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (1 Thess. 4:16), will truly be imminent, because Christ “must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything” (Acts 3:21 NIV). But “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). Are you hearing these truths from your church pulpit?
More importantly, are you preparing those in your influence for “The coming of the lawless one according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9)? Are you teaching the safety and provision of God for the last 1,260 days, the last 3 1/2 years of great tribulation? I ask because the organized evangelical partisan church will not prepare you in these truths. It continues promising a false pre-trib rapture, ministers of which say they believe Christ, but in reality deny His Words as applying to them for the times of the end. Woe unto them who exchange truth for a lie! Ministers of the gospel of Christ are supposed to be watchmen. “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I [God] will require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezek. 33:6).
I’ve often said that based on Matt. 24:32–35 and Psa. 90:10 the final seven years of this age will begin around the fall harvest months of the year 2021, with the rapture in 2028 based on the 365 day Gregorian calendar. But using God’s 360 day Hebraic calendar shortens that by one year. If one multiplies Israel’s 2020 anniversary age of 72 by the difference of 5 days between the two calendars, it yields 360 days, exactly one Hebrew year! This leads me to think that the seven-year tribulation could start around the fall harvest months of 2020! We’ll wait and see.
In light of political and civil hatred in America and abroad, with many professing Christians demanding President Donald Trump’s removal from office, incredulously, even the editor of Christianity Today!; the rise of the New World Order; the dismantled rule of law; war, violence, murder, rape, homosexuality, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, genetic manipulation, mind and computer interface; biometric chip implants, nanotechnology, robotics and human interface, and a lukewarm church, it’s evident that 2020 will be a game-changer year that could begin the final seven years of this age. While Christians, of all people, should be in the know of these end-time signs, most remain totally ignorant of the signs of the times that now swarm upon the earth. (An aside: last night the prospect of WWIII grew exponentially.)
For lack of knowledge and discernment many Christians love technologies that will be used to deceive and kill. Globally, these technologies arrived as normal. But those ignorant of the truth, namely, Christ’s end-time teachings, even consider super human status or development as good. For example, since we already replace bodily limbs with prosthetics, heal the deaf with cochlear implants, heal poor sight with cataract and retinal surgery, heal severe burns with skin grafts, transplant hearts, livers, lungs, kidneys, and much more; then why not also genetically modify, change, enhance and upgrade humanity to interface with computers via implant chips that will exponentially improve brain functions to the super computer level, plus add longevity of life!?
Warning! The only safeguard to stop Christians’ pursuit of technologically enhanced humans is Holy Spirit discernment, knowledge and faith in the end-time Word of God! Without knowledge and preparation by faith in the promises of God for the end-times, many Christians will be just as vulnerable to “the mark of the beast” technologies as unbelievers. Keep this in heart and mind – “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:11–12). [Emphasis added] The “mark of the beast” will dominate the global economy, without which “no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:17).
Dispensational organized churches will not teach whole truth because they believe the pre-trib rapture deception. Aside from this minister and writer, and other Christ-believing Christians who hold to His end-time testimony, you’re really on your own for discovering end-time truths. My prayer this 2020 New Year for you and your loved ones is that you love the Lord Jesus and His truth for the end-times, because He is the truth, John 14:6, and that you’ll lead your family, loved ones, and every person within your sphere of influence to personalize the testimony of Jesus, and thereby strengthen and encourage one another to endure faithfully to the end of this present age.
In less than eight years “the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) will indeed be imminent! Hallelujah! Be watchful unto that day! To get to that day safely requires believing the testimony of Jesus Christ. Allow today to be a fresh start of discovering the whole gospel of Christ. Study, believe and personalize the testimony of Jesus Christ, for therein you secure an inheritance that cannot fade or perish. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and discernment. Pray, love, cherish and study the Word of God more than you’ve ever studied educational, collegiate, occupational, or career books of learning. It’s required.
I conclude this six-part series with this analogy. Consider partisan politics. It’s destructive by deliberately avoiding all known credible truths; it got President Trump impeached. Similarly, partisan Christianity, thriving on traditions of men impeached the authoritative testimony of Christ for the end-times. The pre-trib rapture is not only false, but destructively ignores the witness of Christ. Consequently many will be caught in “the falling away” (2 Thess. 2:3), as many ministers do not love Christ or their fellowman enough to teach all credible known truth. Though Christ is “the truth”, traditions of men have deliberately impeached His end-time truths.
Marlin J. Yoder
