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| PentecostalTheology.com
The world has become a very wicked place recently and this has resulted in the presence of the strains of the coronavirus that are emerging. Tens of thousands of people have already died as a result of this plague. The scripture says: “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity” (Matthew 13:41)
Yes, we are the generation alive that are witnessing the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Endtime. However, what is taking place is not readily understood for what it is and so it is necessary to look at the facts from the beginning.
It all began in heaven with Lucifer who was an angel that God had created. His wisdom and beauty were outstanding and his brightness earned him the name “son of the morning.” He became the envy of all else in heaven.
Alas, Lucifer’s popularity went to his head and pride set in. He regarded himself better than everyone else, Including God himself, and believed that he could run God’s creation, the Universe, as least as good as God, if not better! A third of the angels in heaven sided with Lucifer’s rebellion. Probably believing that he would reward them for their support by grating them important positions to occupy in what was to be his kingdom.
Having commenced his rebellion Lucifer (whose name was changed to Satan) sought to strengthen his position on earth by gaining a numerical advantage by means of his offspring. In the parable that Jesus taught of the wheat and the tares Jesus declared that the tares were “ the children of the wicked one: The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” (Matthew 13: 38-39)
The offspring of Satan have been present from the beginning and the Scribes and Pharisees, who opposed Jesus throughout his ministry on earth, were among them. He said to them “ Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do.” (John 8:44)
Alas, the joy that was in heaven was totally eradicated on account of Lucife’s actions. We can read the confirmation of these facts in the opening verses of Ezekiel’s prophecy in the 28 chapter of his writings.
A further insight of what happened in heaven comes from the account given in the book of Ruth. Here we are told of how Boaz falls in love with Ruth and seeks to marry her. However, the law of the land in those days was that before Boaz could marry Ruth there was a near kinsman whose divine right for this was before Boaz. Boaz approached this kinsman and informed him that Ruth was there for marriage. Said Boaz : If you decline the offer of her hand in marriage I will accept it.
At first the kinsman said that he would pay the price of redemption and marry Ruth, but then on considering the conditions involved he realised that he would have to raise up seed to Ruth. Because of this he said to Boaz “ I cannot Redeem (her) for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself.” (Ruth 4:6)
The revelation behind this is that Boaz is typing Jesus and Ruth is typing the Church. Jesus paid the price of redemption for the Church at Calvary and will marry the Bride. But who was Ruth’s near kinsman? Not Jesus for he was not a created being as Ruth (and all mankind was) It has to be said that Lucifer (later Satan) was a created being and therefore Ruth’s kinsman. He had the opportunity of purchasing the church and bringing forth God’s people but declined to do so. His reason for this was (in his own words) “lest I mar mine own inheritance” His inheritance are his children. Quite obviously Satan could not bring forth his own children and the children of God at the same time. (For they are totally different from one another) Satan decided to put his own interests first…
So for centuries in time the children of Satan and the children of God have lived side-by-side in the world, their lives being intertwined. To have rooted up the tares to remove them would have meant the wheat being rooted up in the process. Jesus said “Let both grow together until the harvest: and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “ Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13: 30) We are in the time of the harvest now but there is a bit further for the harvest to run before it is fully completed, and all the tares are bundled up, and all the wheat is gathered into God’s barn…
The harvest will continue to run during the Great Tribulation, the last 3.1/2 years of a time, which will be of unparalleled distress, the likes of which will not have been “since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Said Jesus. Revelation 11 reveals that Moses and Elijah will return to the earth during the Great Tribulation and preach for “ a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (3.1/2 years) while administering God’s judgement on a sinful world “and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will.” (Revelation 11:6) …The Coronavirus that has swept the world of late is but the beginning of plagues that are to come…
While the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos to record the Revelations of the Endtime he was mystified to see a beast that had Seven Heads and Ten Horns (upon which a woman sat) The angel that was conducting John through the vision told him the identity of the ten horns, and that of the woman, saying “The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings…. and the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:12 and 18)
The only city to be reigning over the kings of the earth, when John received the revelation in AD.96, was the city of Rome. And the Church of Rome was the real power behind the scenes…. The ten horns are ten kings which have “received no kingdom as yet” (that is, in AD.96 when John recorded the revelation on Patmos) “but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.”(revelation 17:12)
We shall see in this Endtime, during the Great Tribulation, the fulfilment of the above prophecy in that all Political power will be in the hands of the European Union, and all Religious power will be in the hands of the One World Church (headed by the Pope) However, we are told that the European Union and the One World Church disagree and fall out, and as a result The World Church is violently disbanded by its Political rival (Revelation 17:16-17)
The ten nations of the European Union elect a President who will have supreme power worldwide. “And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (3.1/2 years) and it was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life.”(Revelation 13:7-8)
Sad to say that during the Great Tribulation there are God’s people people on the earth, against which war is being made. Who are these people? They are the foolish virgins of the parable (Matthew 25:1-13) whose lamps had gone out (verse 8) And while they went to buy oil for their lamps the Bridegroom Jesus came and the wise virgins, whose lamps were alight, went in with the Bridegroom to the marriage and the door was shut. When the foolish virgins returned they found the door was shut and they had to remain outside…Yes, they missed the Rapture and had to face the Great Tribulation…
During the Tribulation the Mark of the Beast will be applying without which “no man can buy or sell.” ( Revelation 13:17) the foolish virgins cannot buy food and would starve to death, but being the people of God are fed by him. “To the woman were given two (spiritual) wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time from the face of the serpent.” (Revelation 12:14) A “time” is one year. “times” are two years. “half a time” is six months. Totalling in all three and a half years. Alas, the foolish virgins are in the Great Tribulation for its entire length.
There is war in heaven, the Archangel Michael and the angels of God fight against Satan and his angels. Satan is defeated and he and his angels are cast out of heaven onto the earth. (Revelation 7-9) The scripture goes on to say “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”(Revelation 12:12) The Devil wasted no time in persecuting the woman, but Israel helped God’s people by providing sanctuary for them. Jesus said: “When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” (Matthew 10:23)
Israel falls foul of the world on account of the Arab nations. They control the world oil supply and refuse to make it available until Israel returns to the boundaries she occupied in Palestine prior to the six day war of June 1967. This would mean the surrender of East Jerusalem to Jordan. However, Israel has made it abundantly clear from the beginning that the city of Jerusalem is an important part of her national heritage and is not negotiable.
This is seen as Israel’s stubborn attitude to hold the world to ransom. The world must have access to oil in order to keep functioning, and if Israel refuses to comply with world opinion peaceably, only one way will be open, regrettably, war. Yes, this will be the third world war: Armageddon! But in the height of the conflict Jesus returns with his host from heaven. The clamour of men grappling for mastery and the roar of exploding shells instantly cease as upturned eyes gaze upon the awesome sight from heaven as Jesus and the saints descend to the Mount of Olives (Revelation 1:7 and Zechariah 14:4)
The kingdom of God is up in Jerusalem, as all the scriptures have foretold, and Satan will be bound for a thousand years during the reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-2) When the thousand years have run their course Satan will be loosed from his prison. His one thought is as it has always been: to possess that which is not his. He gatherers together his forces and surrounds the headquarters of the people of God at Jerusalem. But fire from God comes down from heaven and destroys the forces and Satan ( Revelation 20:9) The Devil is cast into the lake of fire, and soon after is followed by his minions.
