"Now [speaking to
His disciples] learn
this parable from
the fig tree: When
its branch has
already become
tender and puts
forth leaves, you
know that summer is
near. So you also,
when you see all
these things
[described earlier],
know that it is
near—at the doors!
Assuredly, I say to
you, this generation
will by no means
pass away till all
these things take
place. Heaven and
earth will pass
away, but My words
will by no means
pass away. But of
that day and hour no
one knows, not even
the angels of
heaven, but My
Father only. But as
the days of Noah
were, so also will
the coming of the
Son of Man be. For
as in the days
before the flood,
they were eating and
drinking, marrying
and giving in
marriage, until the
day that Noah
entered the ark, and
did not know until
the flood came and
took them all away,
so also will the
coming of the Son of
Man be. Then two men
will be in the
field: one will be
taken and the other
left. Two women will
be grinding at the
mill: one will be
taken and the other
left. Watch
therefore, for you
do not know what
hour your Lord is
coming. But know
this, that if the
master of the house
had known what hour
the thief would
come, he would have
watched and not
allowed his house to
be broken into.
Therefore you also
be ready, for the
Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do
not expect."
When will be the
return of our Lord,
many of my readers
ask? When will all
these things come to
pass? As the above
verse notes, no one,
not even the Son, or
His angels know the
exact day or hour,
but we are given
words of knowledge
to know the season
of His return. Jesus
speaks of as was in
the “days of Noah”.
What was happening
in those days?
We live in a world
that is both
self-obsessed and
self-glorifying.
People of the world
generally believe
that present-day
civilization is the
apex—the very
height—of mankind's
onward and upward
struggle to perfect
himself.
Mankind
during these last
days have become
more humanistic,
more of the
pulling-ourselves-up-by-our-bootstraps
mentality, we have
come to think the
opposite of what had
always been. We have
become a people who
worship themselves
and their
accomplishments.
Mankind
often now thinks
that his best days
are yet ahead, and
we by our own skills
and ingenuity and
mind are going to
form the golden age
of mankind. We are
going to make it
happen, because this
is the best that it
has ever been; and
it is only going to
get better. But are
we? Is mankind only
going to get even
better?
Looking at the
opening passage of
this message, we see
the full context
there. Jesus is
giving His disciples
clues to help them
to be alert and
ready for His
return. On the other
hand, He is also
warning them
strictly that they
will not know the
time of His return
precisely.
Mankind in general
thinks things will
only get better and
they ignore the
warning signs that
are all around them.
They feel with their
technology they can
conquer anything and
“who needs a god” to
bring them wealth
and happiness? Look
how the world has
become more and more
anti-God and looking
to themselves and
have thrown God the
Father the Son out
of their lives.
II Peter 3:1-7 This
second epistle,
beloved, I now write
unto you; in both
which I stir up your
pure minds by way of
remembrance:
3:2 That
ye may be mindful of
the words which were
spoken before by the
holy prophets, and
of the commandment
of us the apostles
of the Lord and
Saviour:
3:3 Knowing
this first, that
there shall come in
the last days
scoffers, walking
after their own
lusts,
3:4 And
saying, Where is the
promise of his
coming? for since
the fathers fell
asleep, all things
continue as they
were from the
beginning of the
creation.
3:5 For
this they willingly
are ignorant of,
that by the word of
God the heavens were
of old, and the
earth standing out
of the water and in
the water:
3:6 Whereby
the world that then
was, being
overflowed with
water, perished:
3:7 But
the heavens and the
earth, which are
now, by the same
word are kept in
store, reserved unto
fire against the day
of judgment and
perdition of ungodly
men.
II Peter 3:10
But the day of the
Lord will come as a
thief in the night,
in which the heavens
will pass away with
a great noise, and
the elements will
melt with fervent
heat; both the earth
and the works that
are in it will be
burned up.
God promised Noah
that the world would
never be destroyed
by water, but that
the next time,
judgment would come
by fire and fervent
heat and everything
will be burned up.
God foreknew that
modern man’s heart
would become as it
was in the days of
Noah:
6:12 And
God looked upon the
earth, and, behold,
it was corrupt; for
all flesh had
corrupted his way
upon the earth.
6:13 And
God said unto Noah,
The end of all flesh
is come before me;
for the earth is
filled with violence
through them; and,
behold, I will
destroy them with
the earth.
Today, we have
become as the days
of
Noah, as it
was predicted and
prophesied
by Jesus and
spoken of by Paul in
II Timothy chapter
3:
3:1 This
know also, that in
the last days
perilous times shall
come.
3:2 For
men shall be lovers
of their own selves,
covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to
parents, unthankful,
unholy,
3:3 Without
natural affection,
trucebreakers, false
accusers,
incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those
that are good,
3:4 Traitors,
heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures
more than lovers of
God;
3:5 Having
a form of godliness,
but denying the
power thereof: from
such turn away.
Evil has enveloped
almost every part of
our world. Are we
not like what Paul
spoke of? Are we not
ungodly in the
majority, seekers of
pleasures instead of
seeking God? Why do
you think it would
be possible for a
man to come to power
and hold sway over
the whole earth? How
is it, that the
population will
gladly submit to a
dictator, the
AntiChrist, that
will promise them
the world.
Why? It is
because of our
sinful nature and
looking for an easy
fix.
The "Beast"
mentioned in Bible
prophecy is a
governmental system,
a revived
Holy Roman Empire,
headed by an evil
human dictator
Revelation 17:6-8).
17:6 And
I saw the woman
drunken with the
blood of the saints,
and with the blood
of the martyrs of
Jesus: and when I
saw her, I wondered
with great
admiration.
17:7 And
the angel said unto
me, Wherefore didst
thou marvel? I will
tell thee the
mystery of the
woman, and of the
beast that carrieth
her, which hath the
seven heads and ten
horns.
17:8 The
beast that thou
sawest was, and is
not; and shall
ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and
go into perdition:
and they that dwell
on the earth shall
wonder, whose names
were not written in
the book of life
from the foundation
of the world, when
they behold the
beast that was, and
is not, and yet is.
II Thessalonians
2:3 Let
no man deceive you
by any means: for
that day shall not
come, except there
come a falling away
first, and that man
of sin be revealed,
the son of perdition;
2:4 Who
opposeth and
exalteth himself
above all that is
called God, or that
is worshipped; so
that he as God
sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
A man will arise,
promising peace and
safety, but lead men
straight to
damnation. Oh, he
won’t look like an
evil person when he
appears on the
scene, but will
promise lies and a
restoration of
sanity in a world
that has gone insane
and trouble is all
about, either
politically,
economically, and in
the end, spiritually
depraved and
unredeemable.
This man of sin, who
claims to a god in
the flesh, this
ruler to come, who
deceives by lying
wonders and is
consumed with the
spirit of Satan
himself, will cause
everyone to take a
mark of allegiance
to his power and his
government. It will
be a world of glory
to humanism and its
power, and denying
the power that made
them, and
blaspheming His Holy
Name, the Creator of
all things. Those
that are lovers of
themselves will
willingly take a
mark of allegiance
to this ruler, as
they just want to
continue in their
sinful ways and
delight in their own
unrighteousness. Who
doesn’t want to
continue as things
are, and be able to
buy and sell in the
“new world order”?
So what’s the
problem?
13:16 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:
13:17 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.
13:18 Here
is wisdom. Let him
that hath
understanding count
the number of the
beast: for it is the
number of a man; and
his number is Six
hundred threescore
and six. (666).
Receiving the
Beast's number, name
or mark has to do
with giving
allegiance to the
government this
dictator will
establish and to the
false religion that
will be an integral
part of that system.
The Bible uses the
symbols of the
forehead and the
right hand to
represent one's
loyalty by thought
and work—mental and
physical allegiance.
It will be a most
thoughtful and
willful act of
anyone who submits
to this hellish pact
of the devil.
Satan the Devil will
be the spiritual
power behind the
Beast (Revelation
13:2),
13:1 And
I stood upon the
sand of the sea, and
saw a beast rise up
out of the sea,
having seven heads
and ten horns, and
upon his horns ten
crowns, and upon his
heads the name of
blasphemy.
13:2 And
the beast which I
saw was like unto a
leopard, and his
feet were as the
feet of a bear, and
his mouth as the
mouth of a lion: and
the dragon gave him
his power, and his
seat, and great
authority.
13:3 And
I saw one of his
heads as it were
wounded to death;
and his deadly wound
was healed: and all
the world wondered
after the beast.
13:4 And
they worshipped the
dragon which gave
power unto the
beast: and they
worshipped the
beast, saying, Who
is like unto the
beast? who is able
to make war with
him?
The world is fast
approaching midnight
and the removal of
the
Church
of
Jesus Christ,
in the twinkling of
an eye. Already we
see the signs of a
“New World Order”
developing. Economic
forces are growing
and becoming
unbearable to our
present way of life.
People like Glenn
Beck and Hal Lindsey
have been ringing
the bell of warning
for some time. Some
scoff at their
analogies. Are they
anything but a
watchman on the
wall? Is anyone
listening? Something
will have to give.
We might see an
economic collapse
that could be
worldwide that will
lead to doom and
gloom in its early
stages leading up to
the 7 year
tribulation period.
Hyperinflation
is already forecast
for the near future,
possibly even this
next year of 2011 by
leading economist.
People will not be
concerned with
paying their
mortgages, or
driving their cars,
if predictions for
hyperinflation come
to pass. People will
be engrossed in
being able to eat
and feed their
families.
Revelation
6:6 And
I heard a voice in
the midst of the
four beasts say, A
measure of wheat for
a penny, and three
measures of barley
for a penny; and see
thou hurt not the
oil and the wine.
6:7 And
when he had opened
the fourth seal, I
heard the voice of
the fourth beast
say, Come and see.
6:8 And
I looked, and behold
a pale horse: and
his name that sat on
him was Death, and
Hell followed with
him. And power was
given unto them over
the fourth part of
the earth, to kill
with sword, and with
hunger, and with
death, and with the
beasts of the earth.
What He says in v.
6, is a common
marketplace call of
a merchant shouting
out the price of his
wares. He is setting
relative values for
both wheat and
barley, with wheat
being three times as
valuable as barley.
However, his price
is highly inflated!
The "quart" here is
choinix in
Greek, which is
roughly equivalent
to our quart, the
amount of grain that
a normal man needs
each day to survive.
In ancient times,
though, a denarius
would buy eight to
ten quarts of wheat,
not one! Obviously,
these are disaster
prices.
The "denarius" was
equal to an ordinary
worker's daily wage.
These prices, then,
give a person an
unenviable choice.
If he is single, he
can buy the more
expensive, more
nutritious wheat,
yet have nothing
left over, or he can
buy the cheaper,
less nutritious
barley and save the
remainder for the
next day or so.
However, if he is
married and has
children, he can
choose only the
barley because he
needs more than one
quart of grain for
his family's
subsistence. None of
these choices really
allows the person
either to get ahead
or to stay healthy,
especially if he has
dependents. The
middle class and the
ones on the lower
end of the economic
scale will be the
first to be hit and
marked for
starvation. The
rich, noted by the
oil and the wine,
will be as they
always are, having
enough money to buy
what they want.
Maybe they’ll pay
higher prices, but
they will survive.
They will be the
elite, the ruling
class that are
leading this messed
up world of chaos.
The rest of the
economic scale will
be in terror. And
who is this “voice
in the middle of the
four living
beast”…could it be
that it is coming
from the very throne
of God, as He knows
all things? The
throne is surrounded
by these beast and
the prophecy comes
from amongst the
throne. So the
prediction is most
troubling for anyone
living in these end
times.
Make no mistake, men
will do anything,
say anything,
believe anything and
do evil if it means
surviving another
day. In those days,
family will turn on
one another; it will
be a time like no
other. Mark chapter
13:
13:12 Now
the brother shall
betray the brother
to death, and the
father the son; and
children shall rise
up against their
parents, and shall
cause them to be put
to death.
13:13 And
ye shall be hated of
all men for my
name's sake: but he
that shall endure
unto the end, the
same shall be saved.
What an awful time,
when you can’t even
trust your own
family. People will
do whatever it takes
when it comes to
fill their own
stomachs, and
against the idea of
starvation and
impending death.
This will proclaim
the corruption that
is man in its
depravity and those
apart from God who
will do evil to
anyone who gets in
their way, devouring
one another.
In this period, it
will be so easy, a
“no brainer” to take
this little innocent
mark, right? To
retake some form of
equilibrium and
stability that has
overtaken the world.
Who wants to go up
against a government
that could take your
means of living
away? All you have
to do is just be
patriotic and do
this little thing,
and all will be good
with the world,
right? Will it?
Revelation
14:9 And
the third angel
followed them,
saying with a loud
voice, If any man
worship the beast
and his image, and
receive his mark in
his forehead, or in
his hand,
14:10 The
same shall drink of
the wine of the
wrath of God, which
is poured out
without mixture into
the cup of his
indignation; and he
shall be tormented
with fire and
brimstone in the
presence of the holy
angels, and in the
presence of the
Lamb:
14:11 And
the smoke of their
torment ascendeth up
for ever
and ever:
and they have no
rest day nor night,
who worship the
beast and his image,
and whosoever
receiveth the mark
of his name.
As I wrote back to a
reader who asked
about the Holy
Spirit being removed
from the earth when
the Church is
forcibly removed to
be forever with our
Lord and Savior, who
can be saved during
that time?
“I don't feel God’s
Holy Spirit will be
of the fullness to
withhold evil, as He
takes His hand off
current events and
allows evil of man's
heart to follow its
course. All who take
the mark of the
beast will be damned
and only those that
believe the message
of the 144, 000
evangelists will be
saved and they are
the ones who will be
running for their
lives, as they will
not submit to the
beast power or its
worship. From study,
2/3 of mankind will
be destroyed, either
by man in martyrdom
of new found
Christians, or the
judgment of God, as
nature goes
completely haywire
and the environment
becomes hostile to
survival and
natural disasters
are common, like
earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions,
weather storms,
hurricanes,
flooding, fire from
heaven and water
needed for life
being destroyed and
not fit for
consumption.
The world will be
much like the times
of Noah, as man's
mind and heart will
be evil in
everything they do.
God will bring
judgment on all men
who are part of the
beast power worship
system and will
destroy that
rebellion.
People who make a
decision for Christ
will be either
martyred, or go into
hiding, much like
the
early Christian
Church, when
Rome hunted them
down as rebels to
their authority.
When we leave, and
the Holy Spirit that
indwells within us
is removed along
with them, then
judgment immediately
comes forth, as seal
after seal is broken
and plague after
plague from God is
poured out on
unrepentant mankind
does the working of
Satan and his
minions. It will
be a most horrible
time in all of man's
deplorable history.”
Note my reader, that
you will witness the
worst of all evil of
mankind should you
still be a witness
and standing, either
listening to the
news, or having to
make a decision of
either starvation or
submission to a “new
world” system.
Everyone who has
written in this
forum are being
watchmen on the wall
and are sounding the
alarm for the coming
last days, and the
end of the age of
grace. It’s fast
approaching and the
approaching hour of
midnight is upon us.
Your only choice
should you live past
midnight, is to take
the mark of the
beast, or die a
martyr’s death.
Chances of hearing
or even believing
the Gospel will be
short in supply.
There is a famine
coming…not so much
of food, but of the
hearing of the Word
of God.
8:11 Behold,
the days come, saith
the Lord GOD, that I
will send a famine
in the land, not a
famine of bread, nor
a thirst for water,
but of hearing the
words of the LORD:
This could mean that
the famine will be
that you will not
find a bible, or
anyone that will
speak to you the
Words of God of your
bible, or that you
will not have the
need or ability to
even listen or to
hear…and will not be
able to make a
decision for God and
Jesus Christ, as
your heart will be
so far from God,
that you will not be
able to
respond…either way,
being part of a
recipient of
God’s wrath
will have grown
exponentially.
I call upon you, to
make a decision for
Jesus Christ while
there is still time.
Time is running out,
tribulation is
coming, and we all
see it just over the
horizon, just out of
sight. The smell of
it is in our
nostrils, our minds
and in our hearts.
We know that trouble
is brewing.
Romans
10:13 “For
whosoever shall call
upon the name of the
Lord shall be
saved.”
John
14:1 Let
not your heart be
troubled: ye believe
in God, believe also
in me.
14:2 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.
14:3 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.
And finally, the
mini message of the
whole Bible:
John 3:16 “For God
so loved the world,
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
that whosoever
believeth in Him,
should not perish,
but have everlasting
life.
v. 17, for God sent
not His Son to
condemn the world,
but the world
THROUGH HIM, might
be saved”
This is Mike Taylor,
wish you well. If
there be anything I
can pray with you
about, or help you
with, give me an
email to
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net,
or visit me online
at my website at
www.churchofgod-usa.org.
Till we meet at
Jesus Feet. God
Bless you.
