Friday, May 2, 2025
Shortly after last Friday’s Letter was posted I edited the last sentence in the April 25, 2025 Letter to now read, “This second and final estate of the Vatican’s rule in combination with AI will be a trio of terror the world hasn’t seen before.” The change was made for readers to understand that there will be a wicked trinity of characters aligned in purpose for the deception and destruction of mankind. Those characters are: 1) Antichrist, the beast “out of the sea” (Rev. 13:1), and 2) the false prophet, the beast “out of the earth” (Rev. 13:11), and 3) those who dwell on the earth make an “image to the beast” (Rev. 13:14) which will be a non-human sentient AI being made by evil men and women who create it with breath and speech that takes authority over all humans “and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Rev. 13:15).
It’s this trio of terror that will reign deception, chaos, terror and destruction upon humanity, the worst of which occurs during the last 1,260 days of great tribulation. Hence, the imperative for God’s redeemed to know about and find His Rev. 12:6 safety and provision for those last 1,260 days, because Jesus gathers His elect “immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31). Very importantly here, ask yourself “Am I one of Christ’s elect?” If you answer “yes”, then you must know that you will be gathered to Christ in the resurrection rapture as detailed at John 5:28–29; John 6:40, 44, 54; John 11:24; Matt. 13:24–30; Matt. 13:36–43; Matt. 25:1–13; Mark 13:24–27; Acts 3:18–23; 1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thess. 4:15–18; 2 Thess. 2:1–4; Heb. 9:28 and Rev. 11:15–19. All these Scriptures and more, taken in context to Christ gathering “His elect” agree with Christ. But you must know that the dispensational pre-trib rapture occurs literally nowhere in Scripture.
“Wednesday, May 7, has been confirmed as the starting point for the ritual open election to decide who will succeed Francis after his 12-year papacy.” (Source) The article states that “No communication with the outside world is allowed during the process. The vote itself is secret and was introduced on 1621 by Gregory XV to try and avoid overt politicking.” People need to know that part of the Vatican’s evils is its secrecy about its affairs which stands in stark contrast to the ministry of Christ and His apostles, whom Paul, before King Agrippa defended saying, “For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). Not so with the Vatican, for much of its doing is done in a corner shrouded in secret. Of course, any entity in its anti-Christ struggle for power engaging in the murder of millions of innocent people simply because people would not bow to the popes for centuries, has much reason to be secretive.
Even within its own ranks and members, if one of those members disagrees with the pope, the consequences are immediate and vicious as Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò learned. (Source) Pope Francis not only ejected Viganò from his church/parish position, but excommunicated him from the Catholic faith! Though there are things on which I would disagree with Viganò, I’m certain he did not deserve excommunication from the Catholic faith for standing up for biblical truths, but that’s the evil power and reach of the papal throne. There is much confusion today about who or from where the Antichrist will come, but as I’ve detailed for many years, God’s word gives us clear revelation of even the colors that adorn that fourth beast-kingdom “arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with precious stones and pearls” an evil entity “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Rev. 17:4–6). Only the Vatican popes and their historic past of violence and bloodshed of the innocent fills those descriptors.
The things of which I frequently write and warn regarding the coming seven-year tribulation have much to do with one of the teachings of Jesus who said to each one of us, His followers: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16). These contrasting similes should truly get one’s attention: sheep vs wolves and serpents vs doves. If one seeks a counter culture comparative to true Christianity, this is it! This simile contrasts the unbelieving world from the true born again believer. It also contrasts religious elites’ traditions of men from the faithful, God-honoring, “it is written”, believer. Christ’s disciples were familiar with both contrasts as are true believers today who’ve borne the heat of the world’s rejection and mocking, and church leaders more interested in preserving their traditions of men than the “it is written” word of God in Christ. These abuses inside and outside the church have followed true believers since the Day of Pentecost, and it will be so until Christ returns at the resurrection rapture. The culture and the religious elite persecuted God’s truth bearers and it remains so to this very day. To confirm that truth read Eccl. 1:9–11.
Jesus said “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves”. Sheep are ignorant and very vulnerable to a predator, in this case wolves. And because Scripture refers to us believers as sheep, in order to thwart vulnerability to attack, Christ exhorts us to be wise as serpents. Serpents are shrewd, crafty, patient, highly observant, agile and extremely sensitive to their surroundings, giving them sensory perception on multiple fronts. On the other hand doves are non-predatory and docile, they harm no other creature. And those attributes, both of the serpent and the dove is what every Christian must possess in order to put to flight enemy attacks by Satan and his demonic spirits while causing no harm to another in word or deed. The unbelieving world, however, pays absolutely no attention to the attributes the Lord commands for His followers. Unbelievers look to the Old Testament for justification of its maintenance of “an eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth”, being clueless that new birth faith in Christ delivers one from the bondage of the O.T. Law. This is why we believers who by new birth faith know Christ “are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20), and not the O.T Law. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second” (Heb. 8:7). And, “In that He [God] says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13).
In this context unbelievers are unable to comply with the commands of God in Christ who said “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:43–45). And “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom. 12:17–19). If the similes taught by Christ at Matt. 10:16 are ignored, then so also will be ignored Jesus’ commands to love one’s enemies, to bless them and not curse any.
My new book “ON EAGLES’ WINGS” explains in detail how to know Christ and find God’s Bozrah sheepfold of safety and place of provision for the last 1,260 days of the great tribulation.
Marlin J. Yoder
