The political mid-term elections, while still in the process of unfolding, continue to do so in a manner that is quite unexpected for many people. Considering the increased lawlessness in the country, the economy, the debt, the inflation, the open borders, the rampant disregard for parent’s say in the schools, and so many other major issues, it is not surprising that a poll recently taken shows that 75 percent of the people of the United States believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction.
What is surprising is that in the face of that reality, the chains shifted very little in politics.
While it is true that there may yet be a changing of the political guard in leadership of the House, it is not enough. While it is true there may yet be a slim chance that the same could be true of the Senate, the sweeping outcome of the elections does not appear to line up with a majority of the nation seeing the nation on the wrong road.
The nation and indeed the world are on the wrong path and have been recklessly headed toward the cliff for a long time now. There isn’t enough white space on this page to list every gut-wrenching, head-shaking thing that has happened. But for me, one shameful political act stands head and shoulders above the dust-clearing political collision that occurred this week.
And of all the places that it happened, it occurred in Montana.
Legislative Referendum 131 was on the docket, giving the voters of Montana the opportunity to vote on it. The referendum, according to Foxnews, would have enacted a law guaranteeing any infant born alive at any stage of pregnancy protections as a “legal person” and would impose criminal penalties on any health care worker that doesn’t provide adequate medical care to these babies.
The Foxnews article then includes a tweet from Robby Starbuck, that really hits the mark. In it, Robby wrote, “Montana voted to let babies die. Let that sink in. All this would have done is force doctors to give care to a living human baby, including if they’re born alive after an abortion. What a dark, horrific day.
What a dark, horrific day, indeed.
How could something like this happen you might wonder? How could 75 percent of the people of the United States agree that the country is headed in the wrong direction and then do nothing about it politically?
There is only one possible answer to this dilemma. The United States and the rest of the world are already under the hand of God’s judgment and he is laying the foundation for the next stage of human history, a dark stage indeed. God has given the people over to their wickedness, in a divine, “You wanted this, well you’ve got this,” attitude. He is going to allow the world to nearly drown in their sin before the hammer comes down. And by his divine hand, God is bringing strong delusion upon those who have continually rejected him so that they will believe the lie that is coming.
Time and Eternity by Pastor Rollin Miller (Preached at Greater Grace Church of Las Vegas). This message wouldn’t be possible without the assistance of Pastor Ray Stedman, Pastor David Hocking, and Arthur Custance, scientist, biblical theologian, and author of the Doorway Papers. Time and Eternity – Pastor Rollin Miller (2022-09-18)
I AM
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 8:58-59
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:13-14
Before Abraham was, I AM
A most interesting juxtaposition, comparing and contrasting a past tense (Abraham was) with the present tense (I AM).
I AM – a nearly incomprehensible concept for us to understand concerning God. For God is not I WAS. Neither is He I WILL. God is, instead, I AM. He is the ever-present, transcendent God. And in every respect, He is fully indecipherable beyond the written Word given to us in plain, simplistic language, with many additional bits of help such as symbolic anthropomorphisms provided for us to relate. But most importantly, the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth.
The contrasting and seemingly contradictory words of John 8:58 gives us but a glimpse of the enormity of the hurdle to our understanding. It provides, however, enough of a glimpse both to us and to those rebellious Pharisees of that day. Enough for them to pick up stones to stone Jesus had he not escaped their stiff necks, gritted teeth, and stones.
Each of us has a past, a current present that is continually fleeting to the past with every passing microsecond, and a diminishing future (in time) as our bodies slowly perish under the weight of corruption. We slide along a belt of time, though haphazardly bumping along through life might be more appropriate. We can be in a state of I AM but only for the briefest of time, and then that I AM moment is gone into the I WAS.
But not God.
God has never been an I WAS. God never will be an I WILL.
God stands vigil in an ever unyielding I AM, as we scamper laboriously and falter along in time, all done relative to his fixed position. He is somewhat like a bright beacon in the stormy night, light shining out of the darkness that we dash into and out of in our lives, both literally and figuratively.
But already I fail, finding myself trapped in an oversimplification of God. For light He is, but not fixed to a point on a rocky jetty like a lighthouse—a point on a map. For God cannot be narrowed down in such a manner. For—
Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heaven like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of of the earth as emptiness. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? Says the Holy One. Isaiah 40:21-23, 25
See what I mean.
And if that isn’t enough, here is a little more from Isaiah:
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. Isaiah 40:28
His understanding is unsearchable. A fixed point, present tense, I AM, and yet UNSEARCHABLE.
Look out the window to your right as the train of your life zips by and God is there, in the ever-present I AM. Quickly, now turn your head to the window on your left and He is there as well. Ahead He is there. Behind, He is there. Above and below, inside out outsider—at one moment and then another, God is swallowing up all the moments that make up the universe and beyond.
For God, unlike any aspect of creation including you and I, is the creator of time, remaining outside of time, and is not controlled, dictated, or limited by time. The same is true of space.
Go back a trillion years in time and you find I AM.
Go forward a trillion years in time and you find I AM.
You cannot expand time to unfathomable lengths, or diminish it to microscopic levels and have any effect on God, for He remains immutably, I AM.
The ever-present, unmoveable, unshakeable God who fills all things with regard to both time and space. There has never been nor shall there ever be a time when God isn’t I AM. There has never been nor shall ever be a place where God isn’t I AM.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10
Focusing more on the time aspect, Arthur Custance, a Canadian Scientist, and Biblical scholar said this on the matter: Eternity includes Time and yet is fundamentally something other. The reduction of Time until it gets smaller and smaller is still not Eternity. Nor do we reach Eternity by an extension of time to great length. There is no direct pathway between Time and Eternity. They are different categories of experience. (Doorway Paper No. 37)
Time and eternity are two different categories of experience, related in some aspects, and completely foreign in others. Eternity is all around us, inside of which is time, where we are. Eternity is veiled to us, eternally separated from the temporal, immediately there, but unreachable apart from the door of death or the harpazo. We know of it, we have some sense of it, but it is so far beyond us, as we look through the glass darkly.
And filling every morsel of both time and space is the great I AM.
Now that we have seen that interesting juxtaposition in John 8:58, let us consider another, found in the book of Revelation.
In Revelation 4:1, we read that John looked and beheld an open door in heaven. He then heard a voice, sounding like a trumpet, talking with him. The voice said to John to come up so that he can be shown things which must be hereafter (in the future).
So from the Isle of Patmos, in the year 95, John is immediately in the Spirit (verse 2), in heaven, where he saw a throne and one sitting on the throne. It is worth noting that we find the apostle John, in the Spirit, three times in Revelation.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. Revelation 1:10-11
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Revelation 4:1-2
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:1-3
Concerning, “in the Spirit,” we must first address whether John was having a vision, a dream, or some kind of supernatural actual experience, the kind of which goes well beyond the most amazing IMAX screen showing the latest blockbuster movie. The story that John shares far surpasses the greatest movie ever made. In other words, was the revelation to John nothing more than the clickity-clack of a filmstrip showing before his astonished eyes with the ominous sound of a narrator in the background, or something more? Was John turning the pages of the latest adventure thriller, or following the sketched outline of a creator’s storyboard? What was his experience?
Before we address this, let us look at the scene in heaven as Scripture reveals in Revelation 4.
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it! 3 And the one seated on it was like jasper and carnelian in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald encircled the throne. 4 In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne, 6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around and inside. They never rest day or night, saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was, and who is, and who is still to come!” Revelation 4:2-8
As your mind attempts to envision what it was that John saw, I would like to shift your attention to the 24 elders mentioned. Specifically, who are these elders, these people, sitting around the throne? Is it even remotely possible to identify them? Perhaps, or perhaps not. But I do believe, that we can provide enough clues to point in a certain direction.
Let me first provide you with the biblical text in Revelation 7:9-17:
9 After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10 They were shouting out in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels stood there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Praise and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These dressed in long white robes—who are they and where have they come from?” 14 So I said to him, “My lord, you know the answer.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! 15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 They will never go hungry or be thirsty again, and the sun will not beat down on them, nor any burning heat, 17 because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:9-17
These verses will help us in our quest to determine who the elders are by shedding crucial light on who they can’t be without the Bible contradicting itself.
They cannot be tribulation saints. Why not? Because in Revelation 7:13-14, one of those 24 elders speaks with John, asking a question and then ultimately answering it himself. Read here:
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These dressed in long white robes—who are they and where have they come from?” 14 So I said to him, “My lord, you know the answer.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! Revelation 7:13-14
The elder has identified this white-clothed group as the tribulation saints who have survived. Therefore, the elders cannot be of that group since it was one of the elders asking, “who are they, and where have they come from?” in Revelation 7:13.
They cannot be angels, for we read in Revelation 7:11 that ALL the angels stood in a massive circle around the throne.
And all the angels stood there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground before the throne and worshiped God, Revelation 7:11
They cannot be Israel, despite the use of 24 found in 1 Chronicles 14-15 where the priests were divided into 24 groups representing the whole of Israel. For Israel is on the earth during the tribulation. 144,000 of them are special missionary envoys, sealed and protected by God as they preach around the world. Two of them are preaching for 3/12 years from Jerusalem in the first half of the tribulation (Revelation 11). The remnant of Israel is being chased by the dragon, and God intercedes on their behalf, taking them into the desert and protecting them for the second half of the tribulation (Revelation12).
Now, some more clues as to who they might be:
They (the 24 elders) sit on thrones around God’s throne. Now read Revelation 3:21-22, following the letters to all seven churches. In these verses, God promises to the overcomers that they will sit on thrones. And by the way, who is it, according to Scripture, are the overcomers? (Whoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4)
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 3:21-22
They (the 24 elders) are clothed in white raiment. When we read in Revelation 3:5, speaking to the church of Sardis, “he that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment.” And remember, who is the overcomer? (Whoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4)
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. Revelation 3:5
They (the 24 elders) are wearing crowns. Scripture tells us in Revelation 2:10, concerning the church in Smyrna, that should they be faithful unto death, God would give them a crown of life. Also note, in Revelation 3:11, the Lord tells the church to hold fast to what they have so that no man would take their crown.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Revelation 3:11
The final clue is this. Beginning in Revelation 4, the church, after being in constant thought throughout the first three chapters, is not mentioned again until chapter 22. In fact the words church and churches are mentioned 19 times in Revelation chapters 1-3 with a final time, an epilogue if you will, in Revelation 22:16. And why is the church not mentioned AT ALL during the harrowing pages of the tribulation? Quite simply. The church is not on the earth.
So where are they?
Go back and review all these comments and clues concerning the elders in heaven and if you honestly do, you might come away with the understanding that the 24 elders represent the church in heaven. They have been delivered from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10) and will not go through the tribulation. I know that I am convinced of it.
Now that we have an understanding as to who the 24 elders are, let us look back at Revelation 7 and look closer.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:9-14
John beholds—he sees everything that is going on. Again, is he just sitting in the IMAX theater watching a projection of things to be, or something more? The story unfolds and there is a lot going on. But then—something really amazing happens.
One of the 24 elders (the church in heaven) ASKS John a question in verse 13.
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” Revelation 7:13
John’s IMAX experience while “in the Spirit” in heaven has just changed dramatically. Imagine that as you sat in a movie theater, enjoying the drama, the action, and buttery popcorn, that one of the main characters suddenly stepped forward and addressed you in your seat? This is quite an upgrade to the IMAX experience as you now become part of the scene, interacting and talking with the elder. That is what is happening between John and one of the elders. And John answers the elder’s question.
And I (John) said unto him (the elder in heaven), Sir, thou knowest. Revelation 7:14a
The dialogue between the Apostle John and the elder in heaven continues with the elder giving the answer to his own question. That those they were looking upon were indeed tribulation saints.
And he (the elder) said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14b
While it might seem that I am only restating something that I covered earlier, my desire here is for you to capture in your mind this amazing exchange. John is on the Isle of Patmos. He is quite old and is a prisoner, held under the order of the Roman Emporer Domitian in the first century A.D., around the year 95. From Patmos, John is taken “in the Spirit” up into heaven, out of time, and into eternity, where he is not only a witness to these amazing future events but a participant in a conversation. And who is John talking to, but a representative of the church that will be raptured and taken to heaven some 2000 years after John’s life is over. And as John and the elder, who hasn’t been born yet and won’t be for 20 centuries or so after John, talk, the focus of their conversation are the tribulation saints that have survived. The amazing thing here is that the tribulation has hardly gotten underway in the pages of Revelation, just after the opening of the sixth seal. In other words, the great tribulation was yet future, IN TIME, but NOT IN ETERNITY.
IN TIME, everything moves on a belt, chugging forward, one event after another. On that belt, you can look behind you at everything that once was, for it is also on the same belt. The prophetic future is also on the belt. You just haven’t gotten there yet.
But in ETERNITY all that changes.
John and another (the elder), born 2000 years apart, are together talking and looking at others that have yet to be safely delivered from an event (the tribulation) that hasn’t even started yet.
For in ETERNITY, we stand IN CHRIST, partakers of His Divine Nature, part of His body, sharing in his ETERNALITY. He is I AM, ever present in both time and space, and we share in that with him.
And back to our original verse:
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 8:58-59
They (Jesus and Abraham) seem out of sync with one another, certainly out of time. But the truth is deeper. It is the coming together of ETERNITY and TIME and their disassociation with each other. While this might seem to indicate a non-linear story, not progressing along the avenue of time, I think it reveals something else entirely, and that is the relativity of time to that which stands outside of time.
We all have the understanding of our positional truth, that is WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. Some of those include truths include that we are perfected forever, seated in heavenly places, joint-heir with Jesus Christ, and so on. The amazing part of that is that those are all written in the Bible in the present tense, even as Christ is the ever-present tense, I AM. When the weight of that begins to settle in your heart, you might begin to see things a little differently. You know that you are seated in the throne room of God (positionally), but I would like to postulate that it is more than positional truth. The you IN TIME is still on the belt of TIME, knowing that you are seated with Christ. But IN ETERNITY, where you already are IN CHRIST who is I AM, you are already seated (literally).
Positional truth is relative. From the perspective of time, where we are, we see ourselves seated POSITIONALLY in CHRIST. But I believe that we are already actually seated in the heavenlies (literally) but from our current position, trapped in time if you will, we cannot comprehend it. And that from our heavenly throne, we can look down at us in time, and IN TIME, we are positionally living our lives waiting for everything to unfold relative to eternity. More on this in a moment.
Positional truth is not merely a promise pointing to a fact; it is reality. Our positional truth points to a present reality IN CHRIST, divorced from TIME, in eternity. We ARE because we are IN CHRIST, is just as ever-present and ever certain as I AM for we are IN CHRIST who is the great I AM.
Unbound by time, we now fully experience the reality that we only had a hint of before. Veiled to the reality of the invisible, our minds are clouded by the limitations of this body and of time and space, causing us only to see through the glass dimly. The reality of our earthly hope in Christ is everlasting life, having a beginning with no end, walking and struggling along the apparently slow path of life with all of its earthy baggage.
But when we step through the veil and we behold his glory face to face, eternal clarity is finally seen, understood, and experienced. We then step from everlasting in our positional understanding into eternal as we grasp our relationship with Christ who always has been and always will be…the great I AM. And being IN CHRIST, we share in that as well.
While we all had a beginning, a physical birth, in eternity, we will know of no such thing, only Christ and his ever-present transcendence of everything apart from himself and God. And from our place IN CHRIST, we can look down and see ourselves POSITIONALLY on the earth, just as we now see ourselves POSITIONALLY in the heavenlies IN CHRIST.
For eternity is not an extension of time. We say things like “back in eternity past” to enable our limited minds to grasp the truth, but there is no eternity past. There is only eternity. Other language is used to render aid to our understanding.
There are other passages in Scripture that have collisions of time and eternity. For example, it says in Revelation 13:8 that Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world. How often is this type of language addressed with convenient understandings such as the Divine Decrees, in eternity past to mean that it was declared to be true. In other words, a Divine “done deal”. Notice that the Bible does not say that the Lamb was foreordained to be slain but was actually slain. I believe that here we will find a much deeper truth, where an event, 2000 years ago on Calvary, the crucifixion of the I AM who is transcendent and ever-present in eternity, a fixed point that fills all, puts the cross in that same place. The cross and its meaning is an eternal event, taking place in both time and eternity, for Christ is both in TIME (when he walked the same time belt that we walk), and ETERNITY for his is the great I AM. The cross, while it happened 2000 years ago on the belt of time, is ETERNAL. It stands FOREVER, and in fact, FOREVER OCCURS.
So as we prepare to close, let your minds free and consider this. In ETERNITY, it is all over, and that is why from the hill of Golgotha when Jesus cried, “it is finished,” it really is. So what do I mean by that?
In the ever-present ETERNITY, you and I are already in heaven. We have already been through the Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema). We have already received our rewards. The rapture and the tribulation are already done, the millennial kingdom is over, and all the bad guys have been judged and are in the lake of fire. There is no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain because everything from the fall has been restored, even a new heaven and new earth. When we step from time into ETERNITY, this convergence means a lot of amazing things could very well be possible.
Let me allow Dr. Custance to elaborate even further.
The experience of each saint is shared by all other saints, by those who have preceded and those who are to follow. For them all, all history, all intervening time between death and the Lord’s return is suddenly annihilated so that each one finds to his amazement that Adam, too, is just dying and joining him on his way to meet the Lord: and Abraham and David, Isaiah and the beloved John, Paul, Augustine, Hudson Taylor and you and I—all in one wonderful experience meeting the Lord in a single instant together, without precedence and without the slightest consciousness of delay, none being late and none to early. (Doorway Paper, No. 37, pg. 28)
If we were given the opportunity to peak outside of time and into eternity, we could see “the Lord coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones,” just as Enoch did when he was permitted to look into eternity. And whose to say, that if that opportunity was ever given, could we have been looking at the same event unknowingly together.
When dealing with this matter of time and eternity and life beyond death, know this that when time ends, eternity begins. They are not the same, and though our minds try and make them the same, they are not. In time, we a confined and locked into a pattern of chronological sequence that we are helpless to break, says pastor Ray Stedman. For example, all human beings sharing the same room will experience an earthquake together. While in the group there are varying feelings and reactions, everyone will feel the earthquake at the same time. But in eternity events do not follow a sequential pattern. There is no past or future, on the present NOW, as in I AM. Within that NOW all events happen. An individual will experience sequence, but only in relation to himself, and events will occur to him on the basis of his spiritual readiness. No two individuals need, therefore, to experience the same event just because they happen to be together.
There are few in this world who stand upon the wall, watching as the cloud of judgment draws near. They know the truth of it. They know that the believers in Jesus Christ will be delivered from it in the rapture. They share the truth of faith alone in Christ alone, largely ignored.
The rest of the world continues pretty much as it always has, battered in defeats, reveling in victories, saturated in the offerings of pleasure whenever possible. As economies real under the weight of COVID and inflation, politicians take the stage and plan their recovery. As armies march and cities fall, the world watches and condemns, demanding that more is done as they largely ignore that carnage as they go about in pursuit of their dreams.
Marches fill our streets, outrage, and demands made known as signs and placards wave brazenly in the air. The angry demands of people are everywhere. As crime surges and police are vilified, the political madness continues to flutter through the airwaves. Near to the core of all that is wrong is a struggle with identity, as the world is turned on its head. Through it all, people look for hope and change, the mantra of our former president. They look for an answer, any answer, but always in the wrong place.
So as the world struggles to right itself without any moral compass or standard of righteousness, they push on as best as they can, ignoring the cries coming from the wall, ignoring the calls to repentance, gnashing with their teeth at the very idea of their sinfulness before a Holy and Righteous God.
God has been patient and gracious, giving more time and opportunity for people to turn to Him. But things are about to change, and they will do so in a most dramatic way. But it is not too late for you. It is not necessary for you to face the coming tribulation. You need not endure and suffer during those seven years of wrath and judgment. All you must do is believe.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Acts 16:31
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3
Like pulling petals from a daisy, I sadly realize that I could count the ways in which this biblical warning from Isaiah has been ignored in recent years, and sadly, the list would be quite long. I suspect that you could conjure your own list. Perhaps we could compare notes.
If we did, what would be our conclusion?
Grab another daisy and start plucking.
Think back to when you were growing up. Think about school, what was taught and what wasn’t. Think about going on your first date or attending the prom. Think about your favorite sports team, the shows you watched on television, and the music you listened to. Think about the things that dominated the social landscape and filled the news. Try and capture as much as you can and when you are finished, compare what you remember to what is going on today.
The contrast is striking, and not in a good way.
This is what the old prophet was warning us about. We as a people and a world have gone from the once unthinkable to the now acceptable. We are now living in the woes of Isaiah and that is not a good place for the world to be.
As a result of our complacency and our acceptance, indulgence, and in many cases, our experiences in the inappropriate and sinful, once condemned and now celebrated, a future is coming, and with it, divine accountability.
Choose this day the forgiveness of God through his Son, Jesus Christ, or don’t. It’s your choice. Choose wisely.
That’s okay. You can believe what you want to believe.
But if you could put aside your beliefs for a few moments and play a “what if?” game with me, you might find this interesting.
I want to take a small portion of the text from a well-known Biblical prophecy. EVERYONE has heard about the mark of the beast whether they believe it or understand it. It has, in some ways, gained traction in culture and as a result, has widespread recognition. We can thank the movie The Omen and numerous other venues for that.
So here are the two verses from Revelation chapter 13 I wish to share:
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
So the gist of the text is this: He (the beast, whoever that it is) will cause people from every political, social, and economic status and walk of life to receive a mark (of some kind) on their right hand or their foreheads. He (the beast) does that so no one is able to buy anything or sell anything without the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
According to the Bible, this beast will implement and enforce a system to control the economy of every single man, woman, and child. This system provides such dictatorial, authoritarian control over you that unless you sign up for the beast’s team you won’t be able to sell your home or buy food for dinner (or anything else).
Let that sink in for a minute. You won’t be able to buy food to eat. Your children won’t be able to eat. Everyone who stands opposed to the beast and his system faces persecution and starvation.
Now, once that has settled in or unsettled you, here comes the “what if” part.
What if this Bible prophecy is true?
You may not believe it as I do, but I am asking you to stretch your minds, and as you do, imagine, if possible, that it is true. Now, when you have battled your way through all the barriers of your rational mind and settled in with that thought, then let me ask you, what if you were the beast?
Again, stretching your imagination, put a crown on your head, and assume your role as the new leader of the world, known biblically as the beast or the antichrist. And when you are ready, think about the following:
How would you implement a system that could prevent anyone on the entire planet from buying or selling anything without your mark of approval? What pieces would you strategically place on the board in order to carry out your plan?
As you consider my “what ifs”, I will move on in an attempt to stimulate your thinking.
In order to be able to control whether people can buy and sell anything, you as the beast and your system would have to have a means by which you could identify every human being. Perhaps, a system similar to the one proposed by ID2020.org would be useful for your world domination. You can read about their plans for a digital identity for everyone here. The ID2020 Manifesto is available for you to watch here. The efforts of ID2020 and the World Economic Forum is laid out in this article.
But that only solves part of the problem. In order for you to execute your beastly plans, you would also need the means to track every person, where they are, and what they are doing. Good thing that China has already implemented a monitoring system called a social credit system that is essentially a digital dictatorship that would fit well in your plans to monitor and control every minute of every person’s life. In fact, it works so well, that other countries such as the United States, Canada, and the UK are considering similar programs or are already implementing them to some degree.
For those of you who are fans of Black Mirror, a bizarre version of a social credit system was shown in Season 3, The Nosedive. I have provided a link to one of the available clips available online. I have also provided another link where there is some commentary provided during the clip.
I think we are nearly there for you, King Beast. Every person in the world now has a digital identification, and the means to monitor every move and activity of every person is now in place. But what’s to prevent someone from pulling some cash from their pocket and buying a little food before running off, eating as they go?
That sounds a little tough to do. But hold on. There may be an answer.
And we can look to our friends in the far east (China) yet again for that answer as they have already blazed the trails of digital currency. Other nations such as the United States are also interested in digital currency and President Biden has gone so far in saying that the new world order that is emerging will force a digital currency on everybody. (EUTimes) While Central Banks might see the move to digital currency as a plus, not everyone thinks it is a great idea. (TheHill)
With the digital currency in place, working through your system of digital ID and social credit system, you, as the beast have everything you need, apart from whatever method is implemented for applying the mark to those who submit to your will.
All that is left is dealing with those stubborn people who will end up refusing to bend to your will. They will, in the face of death, refuse to yield and worship you or your image. You simply have to come up with are some useful tools with some very sharp edges to deal with them. Heads will be rolling.
So, you may not believe in Bible prophecy, but hopefully you will start to wonder if it was possible based on everything that is going on in the world. Believe it or not, time is running out for you to make a decision about Jesus Christ. You don’t want to be here for what is coming fast around the corner.
Three months ago, the narrative coming out of the White House was that things were much better off now. Looking back at that, I stood there wide-mouthed, eyes full of anticipation as I waited for it…waited…waited. But the punchline never came. The joke never broke. All I could do was sigh and shrug at missing an opportunity for a good laugh, something that in recent days was sorely missed. Instead, President Biden presented to us a dreadful punchline just a few days ago stating that we are at an inflection point and that there was going to be a new world order. He then declared that we’ve got to lead it.
Perhaps you have noticed about the days in which we live—really noticed. Perhaps not. But if you say that you haven’t, either you are a liar or in complete denial and your blinders are strong!
There is a purpose in all of these changes. A purpose well beyond the scope of normal headline scouring and conspiracy formation. It is a purpose that transcends everything understandable to the natural mind, and the normal experience. In the beginning, the changes appeared small, hiding their significance to all but the most discerning. And the rate of their appearance was slow, designed to remain well below the radar of understanding.
But today, things have changed. The finish line appears close to those who have championed this years-long attempt to reshape the world and the people in it into the image of men. And as such, the final pieces are falling into place at a rapid pace. This convergence of events is, however, leading the world on a much different path than the authors of this new world order utopian vision envisioned. For despite their lofty and elitist aspirations, their influence and leverage, their abilities, their money, and greed, it is they, and all who follow after their lead are in for a very rude awakening.
Ahead lies a great curtain, a veil which keeps hidden the truth of the knobs being turned and the levers pulled. And soon—very soon, that veil will be pulled back, and all will be made manifest. For most, it will be by then be too late. And I mean well beyond the temporal.
If little or none of this is making any sense to you, then may I suggest, that you belong here, reading the series, Handfuls Dropped on Purpose. If you get it or at least a portion of it, you are invited as well. There is so little time available to us all. And I suggest, that time should be used as wisely as possible.
A first lesson:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.” Psalm 111:10
As an author, I have had the pleasure of writing a handful of books, all of them fiction. And while I enjoy writing fiction, I cannot allow this to be my main pursuit. The times in which we live dictate that my course and focus must change.
