Friday, December 27, 2019
In less than seven years, many people will have died due to wars and natural celestial and geological disasters on earth, and no government, military, scientific organization or techno firm will have been able to do anything about it. Like Noah’s day the pride, arrogance and knowledge of man soars. Thinking himself God and immortal, man crosses species between man and beast, not content that each multiply “according to its kind” (Gen. 1:25), redesigning humans through genetic manipulation, nanotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence. But as in Noah’s day, God will disallow Satan’s seed to mingle with the seed of humanity. God will intervene again!
At the mid-point of the tribulation “the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter” (Rev. 8:10–11). Wormwood, given its proper name, could be Satan when he’s permanently cast out of heaven and to the earth for the great tribulation, Rev. 12:7–12, or maybe it’s an asteroid’s radiation poisoning rivers and springs that will kill many.
Then “the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night” (Rev. 8:12). And very likely as a result of the Third Trumpet judgment “The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut, its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again” (Isa. 24:19–20).
Also at mid-tribulation, Antichrist will ascend the temple in Jerusalem and “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:4). Jesus prophetically warned that “when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads let him understand)” (Matt. 24:15). This is the time prepared believers, “the freewoman” (Gal. 4:21–31), the prepared Church, “counted worthy to escape all these things” (Luke 21:36), are “the woman [who] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev. 12:6, 14).
At the mid-tribulation point, the window of opportunity into God’s safety and provision is small. Finding God’s special, Exo. 12:22–23, Passover-type safety and provision will be dependent on obeying God; being “counted worthy to escape all these things” (Luke 21:36). Therefore, as our Lord Jesus said “Watch therefore…” (Luke 21:36) meaning close attention must be given events of the days as they unfold. Things will not go well for those who, like the foolish virgins of Matt. 25:1–13 were not prepared to endure to the end when the Bridegroom’s arrival came only after a long-awaited and dark time. God wants His people to find His safety and provision as they wait.
The ancient prophet said of this time, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain” (Isa. 26:20–21). Like ancient Israel at their Passover moment, after each household had put the blood on their door posts and lintel, (similar to Christ’s Blood over believers) God said “And none of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you” (Exo. 12:22b–23).
Just as God commanded ancient Israel that “none of you shall go out the door of his house till morning”, so also Christ warns His people in hiding that “if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There! Do not believe it…See, I have told you beforehand…Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it” (Matt. 24:23–26). Lying agents of Antichrist will try to lure saints hidden in God’s provision and safety out of their positions to destroy them! [Bold emphasis added]
Therefore, Christ said “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). This verse is not indicative of a pre-trib rapture, but of finding God’s safety and provision for the last 1,260 days (3 1/2 years) of the great tribulation. The same warning is again given by Jesus at Luke 17:20–37, wherein His disciples knew He was instructing of that unique place of safety and provision, because they said to Him, “Where Lord?” and He answered “Wherever the body is, there the eagles [literal] will be gathered together” (vs. 37).
At the middle of the tribulation every Christian having the hope of entering God’s safety and provision must be willing to forsake every worldly possession he or she may have at that time. Our Lord describes the urgency of the moment: “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 17:31–33). [Bold emphasis added]
God reminded ancient Israel and us how He metaphorically carried them “on eagle’s wings” (Exo. 19:4 and Isa. 40:31). Similarly, God’s safety and provision at the mid-tribulation will be physically identified by where “the eagles will be gathered together”. Sound foolish? Be careful, for “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:27). Those who ignore God’s Word will fail to find His safety and provision in the worst of human history.
WARNING! SYNONYMOUS TO THE TIME LEADING UP TO THE MID-TRIBULATION, DEMONIC ENTITIES MASQUERADING AS ALIENS WILL BE ABUNDANT WITH THE SPECIFIC INTENT OF DECEIVING THE MASSES. TODAY, WHAT MANY BELIEVE TO BE ALIEN VISITATIONS ARE DEMONIC SPIRITS RELEASED ONTO THE EARTH FOR THE EXPRESS INTENT TO DECEIVE. UNTIL NOW, THEY’VE BEEN RESTRAINED BY GOD’S POWER, 2 THESS. 2:6–7, BUT ARE NOW UNRESTRAINED AS IN NOAH’S DAY.
Contextually, in this regard, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:1–4).
It was not by coincidence that WWII ended in 1945; or that the United Nations was formed the same year; or that the International Court of Justice was formed the same year; when two years later the Roswell incident occurred in July 1947; and less than one year later, the State of Israel was reborn on May 14, 1948; then, less than one year later, in April 1949, NATO was formally established. The collective sum of these events and more was the bold demarcation in the sands of time that loudly announced the beginning of the end. And with it came Antichrist spirits of rebellion, and knowledge increased exponentially, and the days of Noah and Lot had returned!
Where is the organized church in the midst of end-time signs? Heavily compromised and lukewarm, but doesn’t know it, or doesn’t care. Prophetic truths of the end-times have largely fallen to the ground unattended. Sadly, most Christians in America have been led to believe the pre-tribulation rapture lie. They have no concerns, God will snatch them from this world before the tribulation even begins, so they think. So they watch for nothing, and see nothing. They have no need to prepare for the end-times. With what have they foolishly filled their lamps? I pray daily that the truth of the testimony of Jesus Christ causes them to reconsider.
Marlin J. Yoder
