INTRODUCTION

John 14:1-6 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. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (KJV)

WHY SHOULD WE STUDY PROPHECY?

The fact is that many people today (1991) have relegated the prophetic Scriptures to oblivion. They feel that a man has to be either mentally unbalanced, a religious fanatic, or a heretic in doctrine to manifest interest in the study of prophecy.

However, as I review and revise the study (November 7, 2003) it is done with the recognize that there is a massive resurrection of the subject. This can be a very good thing and we recognize that this new wave of discussion on the subject has bombarded the internet.

I almost fell prey to the temptation to forego the revision of "The Almighty's New World Order," and possibly take the study down. I over came this after conferring with some of my piers and their encouragement on the matter. You will find that this study is indexed in a very confusing way. I shall do my best to re-index so as to make it easier to use on the WWW.

Two articles in the following 'Text Boxes' will give you a prospective and reveal the sense of urgency many of us feel in getting out the Word before it is forever too late:

AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT - IN THE DAYS OF NOAH - THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE Many there are in Christendom today who teach that Christians can't know when Jesus is coming because He's coming like a thief in the night. Yes indeed, Jesus is coming as a thief in the night. But, to whom is He coming as a thief? The Bible says: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" (I Thessalonians 5:1 & 2). There you have it, beloved. The day of the Lord is coming as a thief in the night. Many stop right there to prove their point that no one can know the time. The day of the Lord in this text is speaking about the time immediately preceding the Second Coming of the Lord. How do we know that? Let's go on to the next verse. Often we don't read far enough. The next verse says: "For when THEY shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM, as travail upon a woman with child: and THEY shall not escape" (I Thess. 5:3). Who are THEY and THEM in the verse above? THEY and THEM are the unbelievers in the tribulation before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. Always, in both the Old and New Testaments, the day of the Lord refers to the Second Coming of the Lord in judgment. Always, in the New Testament, the day of Jesus Christ, or Christ Jesus, refers to the Rapture of the Church. Check it out. So then, in the verses above, Paul is saying that the day of the Lord and its judgment will come as a thief in the night upon THEM and THEY shall not escape. Now, let's go on to the next verse where Paul speaks to US about US: "But YE, BRETHREN are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (I Thess. 5:4). Will the day of the Lord come upon the brethren (believers) as a thief in the night? Not a chance! Why not? We, the brethren, have spiritual eyes to see. They don't. The next verse says: "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (I Thess. 5:5 & 6) Let us watch and be sober! Let us watch especially the Israeli-Palestinian peace process for the covenant to be confirmed (guaranteed) by the Gentile antichrist. Jesus also told the Church to watch: "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Rev. 3:3). Jesus said that from the negative side. If we read it from the positive side He said, If you watch, I will not come upon you as a thief, and YOU SHALL KNOW what hour I will come upon you. WATCH AND KNOW! THUS SAITH THE LORD!! Jesus told the Church if we watch we won't be overtaken as a thief in the night and we will know what hour He will come. Is this a contradiction to what Jesus said to Israel? No, it is not: "But of that day and hour KNOWETH no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36). Notice please, the verb KNOWETH is in the present tense, relative to the time Jesus said it. Remember, when Jesus said this, it was 32 A.D. and at that time only God the Father knew. But, did He say that no one would ever know? No, He did not! In the very next verses He goes on to explain: IN THE DAYS OF NOAH "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37). Let us now go to the book of Genesis and learn more about the days of Noah. GOD FORETOLD THE NUMBER OF YEARS UNTIL THE COMING JUDGMENT God revealed to Noah that man's days would be another 120 years until the judgment would come: "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" (Genesis 6:3). GOD REVEALED THE WAY OF SALVATION FOR THE BELIEVERS "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch" (Genesis 6:14). God always keeps the believers from His wrath and judgment. Later, after the ark was finished and as the hour of judgment was nigh, God then revealed to Noah the exact day it would come. GOD FORETOLD THE EXACT DAY "FOR YET SEVEN DAYS, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth" (Genesis 7:4). GOD KEPT HIS WORD "And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth" (Genesis 7:10). Now let's go back to Matthew 24 and further examine what Jesus was saying about the days of Noah: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood THEY were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took THEM all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt. 24:37-39). THEY were eating and drinking. THEY were marrying and giving in marriage. THEY knew not until the flood came and took THEM all away. Who were THEY? THEY were the unbelievers. The unbelievers knew not until the flood came and took THEM all away. But, as the time drew nigh, THE BELIEVERS KNEW the exact day before the fact! AMEN! "BUT AS THE DAYS OF NOE WERE, SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE." HE WILL GUARANTEE ISRAEL'S TREATY SEVEN YEARS "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease" (Dan. 7:27). From the book of Revelation we learn that this "week" is actually seven years. As stated above, in the middle of the "week" he stops the Jews' religious ceremonies in the Jews' temple in Jerusalem. Therefore the Jews will soon rebuild their temple. This "week" is divided into two equal parts of three and a half years. For three and a half years (1260 days or 42 months) two men of God will prophesy in Jerusalem: "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the alter, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot FORTY AND TWO MONTHS. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy A THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THREESCORE DAYS clothed in sackcloth" (Revelation 11:1-3). After the Gentile world dictator (the beast) stops the Jews' religious services in the temple he will remain Israel's protectorate another 42 months. The Bible says: "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue FORTY AND TWO MONTHS" (Revelation 13:5). This "week" of years is seven prophetic years which are 2,520 days. A prophetic year has 360 days. This terrible time of tribulation begins when the Gentile beast gives his authority to the Israeli-Arab treaty, likely at a signing ceremony with much pomp and circumstance. More than likely, this treaty is coming via President Bush's "Roadmap" to Middle-East peace. Now I ask you, can the antichrist guarantee a treaty before there is a treaty? The obvious answer is no. Therefore we must conclude that there must be a treaty before he can guarantee it. Also I ask you, can the antichrist confirm the treaty without having political authority before he guarantees it? Again the answer is no. We then conclude that the antichrist must be in a position of great political authority before the 7-yr. tribulation begins. Have you noticed a Gentile political leader from the West pressuring Israel to make a covenant which would divide their "Promised Land" and make Jerusalem the shared capital of an Arab/Muslim state? This blasphemer is the enemy of God and Israel!! WATCH!! THIS COULD BE THAT MAN! "And he shall confirm (guarantee) the covenant with many for one week [7 yrs.]" (Daniel 9:27). Although the antichrist must be in a position of political power before the 7-yr. tribulation begins, he will not have world-wide dominion until the middle of the tribulation. As we watch Israel's "covenant with many" being developed, we know that soon it will be ready for confirmation by the antichrist. Remember, the signing ceremony with the whole world watching is the event that begins the 7-yr. tribulation!! However, immediately BEFORE the first day of the tribulation, something exciting is going to happen to the Christians!! THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH Now, we need to learn the difference between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ to earth, to Israel. They are two distinct events. Let's look at some Scriptures that reveal the Rapture of the Church: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thess. 4:16 & 17). All Christians dead and alive will be CAUGHT UP to meet the Lord IN THE AIR. The word rapture means to be CAUGHT UP. At the Rapture the Lord does not return to earth. The Bible also says: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:51 & 52). Only Christians will be caught up. The vast majority will be left on earth, including the "harlot churches" to face the wrath of God during the tribulation. The Bible says: "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" (Rev. 6:8). "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great" (Rev. 16:18, 20 & 21). Will the Church enter into this time of trouble and wrath of God? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Christians will not enter the tribulation; not even for one split second!! Unless a Christian understands the difference between the Church and Israel, it is impossible to understand Bible prophecy. The Church is not Israel! Israel is not the Church! Israel has a Promised Land. The Church does not. Israel has a holy city (Jerusalem). The Church does not. Daniel, a Jew and a prophet of God to Israel, wrote as he was instructed by Gabriel, an archangel of God: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy"{Daniel 9:24). "Seventy weeks (sevens) are determined (decreed)." Who do you suppose decreed these seventy sevens of years (490 yrs.)? If you said God, you are correct. To whom are the 490 years decreed? "Seventy weeks are determined UPON THY PEOPLE AND UPON THY HOLY CITY." Who are Daniel's people and what city is Daniel's holy city? Daniel's people are the Jews, collectively called Israel. Daniel's holy city is Jerusalem. Sixty-nine of the seventy weeks have already been fulfilled and exclusively to Israel (the Jews) and the holy city of Jerusalem. Carefully read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as fulfilling Daniel 9:25. The seventieth and final week (7 yrs.) is also exclusive to Israel (the Jews); again with the focus on the holy city of Jerusalem! Not one split-second of the 7-yr. tribulation is decreed to the Gentile Church! Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for the Church to enter into any part of the seven years, not even for one split-second!! AMEN!! NO LAPS OR GAPS!! No, the Church Age does not lap over into the tribulation, nor is there any time gap between the end of the Church Age (at the Rapture) and the beginning of the 7-yr. tribulation. The Church Age goes up to, but not into, the tribulation. Let me at this time present an illustration to make a point. One of these days, in the near future, we're going to hear that an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians has been reached. Also the date for a formal signing ceremony will be announced. Let's say for example, a signing ceremony, with much pomp and circumstance, will be convened on October 15. Based on past performance, such as Israel's treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and the Oslo agreements, the announcement of the signing ceremony always came at least 7 days in advance of the event. So, let's say that on October 8, we hear that a signing ceremony is set for October 15. We would then know that the Church would be caught up to meet Christ in the air on October 14. WATCH!! "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). OTHER PROPHETIC MESSAGES AVAILABLE AT: http://www.mychristiansite.com/ministries/jmccutchan James McCutchan, Pastor Olde Tyme Baptist Church jmccutchan@aol.com

OTHER PROPHETIC MESSAGES AVAILABLE AT:

http://www.mychristiansite.com/ministries/jmccutchan

James McCutchan, Pastor
Olde Tyme Baptist Church
jmccutchan@aol.com

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Prophecy Update - Powered by InJesus Prophecy Update - The Destiny of Believers during the Coming Tribulation (Part 2) - 8/28/03 Aug 28, 2003 Greetings, Hi Folks, Visit us on the web at: www.prophecyupdate.com or at www.theendtimes.org **Note - Thanks to your prayers and support, Prophecy Update is now viewed in over 84 countries around the world! _____________________________________________________________________ **STAY INFORMED! DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND! PROPHECY NEWS HEADLINES, UPDATED DAILY: www.prophecyupdate.com/prophecy_news.htm **PROPHECY GUIDE - Easy and fun way to learn about Bible Prophecy! - www.prophecyupdate.com/prophecy_guide.htm **THE BOOK OF MATTHEW IS NOW COMPLETE! - ALL CHAPTERS - NOW ONLINE! - www.prophecyupdate.com/matthew_introduction.htm **THE GOSPEL OF JOHN - ALL CHAPTERS - NOW ONLINE - www.prophecyupdate.com/john_chapter_1.htm **NEW!!! - THE BOOK OF ACTS - INTRODUCTION and CHAPTERS 1-3 - NOW ONLINE! - WWW.prophecyupdate.com/introduction_to_acts.htm ____________________________________________________________________ **Prophecy Update Special - Visit our tape and CD library and order our Special Prophecy Study Pack (All 5 of our Prophetic Studies) at a Special Discounted price! www.prophecyupdate.com/audioministry.htm ____________________________________________________________________ Israel Today - August 28, 2003 - 30 Av, 5763 Militiamen from the Islamic terrorist group Hamas fired a homemade "Qassam" rocket into Israel`s coastal city of Ashkelon today from the Gaza Strip. There were no casualties, but it was the first time a Palestinian rocket hit a major Israeli city. A rocket attack with casualties is likely to bring harsh Israeli retaliation. "It`s clear the Palestinians are now upping the ante," said Israeli spokesman Dore Gold. "Israel cannot tolerate the use of rockets against its major cities." Israeli generals have said repeatedly that Hamas exploited the cease-fire to improve the range of the rocket. Palestinian police say they rushed to the area where the Hamas men fired the rocket, preventing further launches. The police fired at the gunmen, shattering a windshield of their vehicle, but they managed to escape. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has frozen 39 bank accounts of 12 Islamic "charities," in one of the first concrete steps it has taken in compliance with the "roadmap." The US has demanded that the PA cut off funds to terrorist organizations, which are largely supported by money donated to Islamic charities. The move came to light when Palestinians went to collect monthly welfare checks and were turned away by banks who said there was no money. Israel welcomed the move. Last week, President George W. Bush announced that the US is freezing the funds of six senior Hamas officials and five European-based charities that he accused of funding Hamas. The decision followed the horrific bus bombing here in Jerusalem, in which 21 people were killed. Hamas claimed responsibility for that attack. In the Palestinian town of Qabatiya near Jenin, Israeli troops blew up the family home of an Islamic Jihad terrorist who killed an Israeli in a shooting attack in January. The gunman was also killed in that attack. The army`s policy of destroying the homes of terrorists is aimed at deterring others from carrying out attacks. Yasser Arafat is locked in a power struggle with his "moderate" Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas over who will control the Palestinian security forces. Arafat was reluctant to share power in the first place, and now, there`s talk that Abbas could be forced to resign. Led by Arafat, Palestinian hardliners accuse Abbas of failing to win concessions from Israel despite his calls for an end to armed attacks. Abbas faces a crucial no-confidence vote in parliament next week. ____________________________________________________________________ DEBKA News Briefs - Hamas senior operative Hamdi Kadah killed Thursday night in targeted attack by Israeli helicopters in southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younes. Three others wounded. Amatsia Nisnevitch, 22, from Nofim, died Thursday in hospital of critical wounds he sustained in Palestinian terrorist attack at hitching-site outside Ariel on August 12. North Korea announces it has nuclear weapons, the means to deliver them and plans to conduct a test. The announcement by Deputy FM Kim Yong Il made on day two of the three-day six-power conference in Beijing called to end North Korea's nuclear crisis. Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV quotes an eyewitness as claiming Saddam Hussein was seen in Mosul and "looked fine". Earlier, DEBKAfile reported: US forces are closing in Thursday on a senior Iraqi ? possibly even Saddam Hussein or a top insider. The hot pursuit by 101st Airborne is in progress north of Mosul. US 4th Infantry continue to hunt Iraqi guerrillas in regions north and east of Baghdad up to Iranian border. First Palestinian Qassam-2 surface missile hits Israeli port city of Ashkelon for first time ? landing in southern industrial zone. Two more missiles in same volley lands in open area south of town. No casualties or damage reported. Distance from northern Gaza to Ashkelon is 10-11 km. DEBKAfile: Hamas and Arafat's Gaza Strip ally Jemal Sema Dana are making all-out effort to reach Israeli urban centers with new extended-range surface missiles. One British soldier killed, second wounded, when trapped in ambush by hostile mob in al Amarah, southeast of Baghdad. Ten arrested after troops brought crowd under control. Since May 1, 11 British troops killed in Iraq. ____________________________________________________________________ The Signature of God -- Part Three - Jack Kinsella - www.omegaletter.com As we've already seen, prophecy is God's Signature. It proves the Divine Authorship of the Bible and establishes beyond all doubt that the Scriptures are truly the Word of God. It was God Himself Who hurled the challenge to the pretenders, saying, "Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together." (Isaiah 41:23) Because only God can know the future. Consider what it means for Ezekiel to describe, 2500 years in advance, the geopolitical alliances of the 21st century. It was only sixty years ago that the world was at war -- the alliances described by Ezekiel didn't exist until that war forced them into being. It was from the ashes of the Holocaust that the nation of Israel was reborn, setting events in motion for the Final Confrontation to come. But take a second and see it in all its majesty with me. Sixty years . . . six hundred years. . . sixteen hundred years. . double that -- it makes no difference. Every single event in every single generation from the day God revealed the future HAD to be exactly in order. What if Hitler's maternal great-great-grandmother had died at birth? Would the Holocaust have occurred? Would Israel now occupy that narrow strip along the Meditterranean? Would the Jews of Europe still be content in their homes and businesses, as they had been before Hitler's madness? Without that single life, sometime in the 18th century, what would the world look like today? The Scriptures say that the 'hairs on your head are numbered' -- multiply that times every single person who ever lived. Every single one of them had free will choices and the choices made by our ancestors, no matter how far back we go, shaped the world we live in today. The same one foretold by the prophets. Imagine picking out the winning team in the 2234 World Series? Who knows if we'll even still play baseball? But the Hebrew prophets named alliances between nations that didn't exist in their world, and in some cases, didn't exist until this generation. We've seen the literal fulfillment of ten prophecies concerning the life of Christ. And the literal fulfillment of ten prophecies concerning the life of Israel. Now we'll look at ten prophecies in the process of fulfillment in this generation. 1. 'Take heed that no man deceive you' "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you." (Matthew 24:3-4) It's often been said that the 'devil's greatest trick is convincing people that he doesn't exist'. Deception has been raised in this generation to an art form. We expect to be deceived by our politicians, our entertainment, advertisers and the media. 2. An increase in disasters and wars. "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. " (24:6) World War One and World War Two were cataclysmic events that shaped the 20th century, but they were domestic disputes in comparison with what World War Three with the Soviet Union would have looked like. For fifty years, the two sides were locked in ideological combat in what history calls the Cold War. Every morning for fifty years, each side woke up wondering if the Cold War would turn hot -- the ultimate rumor of war -- that ended only a decade ago. But, as Jesus noted, see that ye not be troubled, for the is not yet. And it wasn't. 3. The great "Falling Away". "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 Thessalonians 2:3) The Alabama Courthouse tragedy in which the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court lost his job for refusing to uproot a monument to the 10 Commandments from the courthouse is just the most recent example. I needn't waste column inches on other examples. You know them as well as I. 4. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Daniel 12:4. Until the beginning of the 20th century, very few commentaries existed on either Daniel or the Revelation. Both were considered to be filled with metaphors and symbolism. Even Calvin and Luther passed up the challenge. The words were 'sealed UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END'. In this generation, the mysteries of Daniel and Revelation are largely unlocked. Columbus sailed to the New World 1500 years after the Apostle Paul made his Meditterranean journey. Both sailed on wooden ships equipped with sails, as did ships until the end of the 19th century. One hundred years later, the same trip takes a few hours by air. 1900 years to get from Paul's ship to the Titanic. Sixty years later, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. We certainly can go 'to and fro'. Moore's Law says that computer capacity doubles every 18 months. Knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate. There is technology being developed to make computers out of strands of DNA. 5. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12) -- Anybody else notice how many parents are murdering their children lately? Each of you can make as strong a case for the increasing tolerance of sin and the collapsing moral structure of society as eloquently as I can. 6. The emergence of the antichrist. Daniel says that the antichrist's seminal act of power will be to make peace between Israel and her neighbors. Until this generation, there was no Israel to be at war. Today, the effort to bring peace is the single most important foreign policy goal of the US, EU, UN and Russia -- who together form the "Quartet" that developed the current 'road map'. The world is crying for a leader who can solve the global problems of the Middle East, terrorism and outlaw nations. Today. In this generation. 7. Earthquakes, Famines, Wars and Pestilences -- Matthew 24:7 speaks to all of these as being like labor pains -- growing in intensity and frequency as the time approaches. Earthquake activity is demonstrably on the increase, while ethnic wars rage across Africa and entire populations face starvation at a time when other countries are throwing leftovers in the garbage. The entire sub-Saharan continent of Africa is facing extinction by the pestilence of AIDS -- while the technology exists to arrest it. We can make computers out of DNA strands, but the earthquakes, famines, wars and pestilences just keep getting more intense. 8. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:28-30) "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5) That wickedness is the hallmark of this age can be proved by picking up a newspaper. The president refers to 'evil' and 'evildoers' in every speech. What could be more wicked than deliberately blowing up a bus filled with children to make a political statement? Television could be described as 'imagination in a box'. We are entertained by vicariously participating in the story line. What entertains us the most? According to the box office receipts, murder, mayhem, war, destruction, occultic fantasy and sex. Lot lived in Sodom, a place where homosexuality was rampant and widely accepted as an acceptable alternative lifestyle. Today, we have parades for homosexuals in drag, or in various stages of undress, flaunting their wickedness to the enthusiastic applause of the audience. (Romans 1:32) 9. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14) Right now, some of you are reading these words in South Africa. Others in the UK. Still others in New Zealand, Australia, Mexico City, Vancouver, Nigeria and Bahrain. That's just the Omega Letter subscribers. There are literally thousands of Christian websites doing the same thing, with the same global reach. Soon, there will be no corner of the earth that the Gospel has not penetrated. Jesus said that once that happens, THEN shall the end come. 10. "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:24) I could make a list. But so could you. Bible prophecy is the Signature of God, the proof of His existence and the assurance we have of our salvation. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" (2 Peter 1:19) The same Voice that proclaimed, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) also proclaimed, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28) He also said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28) Tell your friends. The King is coming! ____________________________________________________________________ The Destiny of Believers during the Coming Tribulation (Part 2) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin Believers in Christ from all nations The covenant with Abraham and his seed was for the purpose of blessing all nations (Genesis 12:2-3; 22:17-18). It was a promise to an earthly people ("as numerous as the grains of sand by the sea shore") and to a heavenly people ("as numerous as the stars of the sky"). The promise to Abraham was fulfilled specifically in the person and work of Jesus the Messiah, as Paul reminds us in Galatians, The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16) In the book of Acts we gain a glimpse of this blessing extended to the Gentiles. "Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: "'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' that have been known for ages.'" (Acts 15:14-18) Sudden belief of many after the Rapture Since the Rapture will have taken all true Christians, one might ask how there are believer during The Tribulation. There could well be hundreds of thousands of immediate conversions right after the Rapture by those who had heard the Gospel, and, though they were not hardened against it, had not yet actually received Christ as Savior. These people will remember the earnest pleading of friends and family members who had disappeared. They could respond quickly, turning to Christ in prayer, confessing their sins and asking Him to save them. Thousands of others will not know what to do, but will be convinced in their hearts that their missing loved ones had been taken by Christ. Perhaps some of them will not believe the lie that is put forward by the ungodly media, which may be saying that the Earth has at last been cleansed of its narrow-minded trouble-making Christian extremists. Officials may even suggest that UFOs had abducted them-- our planet's population has been conditioned for decades now to believe in the existence of UFOs. These honest seekers will turn to the Bibles and prophecy books that have been left by their missing friends. Their minds and hearts will be open to the Gospel when they read it or hear it explained by the thousands of instant converts. Even if they do not find the truth immediately, they will respond when evangelists like the 144,000 specially sealed Israelites mentioned below, boldly proclaim the Gospel during this period. Messianic (Jewish) leadership It is apparent that the spiritual leaders of this period will be "completed" or "fulfilled" Jews, those who have accepted Yeshua as their Messiah. Romans 11 reminds us that they will receive God's mercy when they return to Him. I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (Romans 11:25-32) The Central Role of Israel There are many indications that Israel is once again on center stage of history during the Tribulation period. Even now, before that time begins, our newspapers and television programs are preoccupied with the events of the Middle East, and especially of the tiny nation of Israel. The miraculous rebirth of the nation in 1948 was the fulfillment of the prophecies of Ezekiel chapters 36 and 37! The importance of Israel in current events was prophesied in Zechariah: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves." (Zechariah 12:2-3) Israel is also portrayed in the Old Testament as the central nation of major future events. Especially in the Book of Daniel we are told of a "seventieth week," a seven year period, that still belongs to Israel's future. "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. "After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. "He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:24-27) In his classic book The Coming Prince, Sir Robert Anderson, who was head of Scotland Yard, calculated the exact duration of the first sixty nine of these "weeks" of years. Sixty-nine times seven is four hundred eighty-three. These years were lunar years of exactly 360 days, as in all the Biblical references. Anderson showed that from the decree by Artexerxes Longimanus to rebuild Jerusalem until the day that Jesus offered Himself as Messiah and was rejected by the officials of Jerusalem (the day of His "Triumphal Entry"), was exactly four hundred eighty-three years, that is 173,880 days (360 x 483). This leaves one seven year period of Israel's history to be fulfilled before the time of "everlasting righteousness." At the beginning of this last seven year period Antichrist (the "prince" or "ruler" who will come), will make a seven year covenant with Israel, but will break it in the middle by setting up an "abomination" in the newly rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. This time table agrees exactly with the timing of the Book of Revelation. This will be shown later, where certain events which begin when Antichrist sets up a statue of himself in the Temple (Daniel's "abomination that causes desolation"), and last to the end of The Tribulation, are exactly three and one half years long. This is the second half of Daniel's seventieth "week." This period of upheaval is also characterized in Jeremiah 30:7 as the "Time of Jacob's Trouble." Perhaps the best way to set the scene for this section is to study the wonderful overview of Israel's history in Revelation chapter 12. Are you among those who know Christ personally? If you are not sure, we urge you to turn to go to: www.prophecyupdate.com/greatest_news_of_all.htm ____________________________________________________________________ </center> **Folks, Prophecy Update and The End Times truly appreciates your encouragement, please pray about becoming a monthly supporter of this ministry and share in the Blessings! **Prophecy Update is distributed free and is a ministry solely dependent upon the grace of our Lord for support and direction. If you have been blessed by these Updates and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to www.prophecyupdate.com/donations.htm , or you can write to: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516

Now back to the original text of our study (If you are still with me): ". . . .a religious fanatic, or a heretic in doctrine to manifest interest in the study of prophecy."

This is particularly true among men who profess to love the Word of God but who have no respect for the authority and integrity of the Scriptures, much less the Church or the preacher.

Those whom we call liberals, modernists, moderates, luke warm, tepid or secularist (and today, 2002, they proudly claim the socialist label and I think of them as communists) say that what we have here and now is far more important than anything that is going to happen in the future. Since they really do not believe that God gave us the Word, they do not believe God revealed the future in it. They feel that any study of prophecy is motivated either by mysticism or fanaticism and is unworthy of one who has passed beyond the sixth grade in school!

Yet, we find that the prophetic scriptures occupy a major portion of the Word of God. In both the Old and New Testaments, whole books are devoted to the subject. In fact, approximately one fourth of the Word of God was prophetic and speaking about future events YET TO COME at the time it was written. If God has seen fit to devote that much space to the subject, it certainly behooves us to give attention to it.

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CHAPTER ONE

SRB Page 1330

The Revelation OF St John The Divine

See Book Heading

THERE ARE SOME REAL DANGERS IN A STUDY OF PROPHECY

When the Apostle Paul came into that great metropolis of Athens, which controlled so much of the cultural, intellectual, and social life of Greece, he found that:

Acts 17:21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) (KJV)

While the Athenians culture and civilization have died out, Athenianism never has, for there are always those who delight to hear "some new thing." Therein lies the first great danger in the study of prophecy. There are many who have become spiritually proud because they have been taught prophetic truths. Because they are able to distinguish the king of the north from the king of the south, or differentiate between the first and second beasts, or able to interpret Daniel's image, they think they possess a spirituality that puts them on a superior plane.

I WAS SPEAKING WITH A FRIEND OF MINE RECENTLY (1990) who had gone into his first pastorate. He made this startling remark, "I wish that the men in my church had never heard of prophecy." Somewhat taken back, and envious (I wish that everyone loved to study the prophetic scriptures), I replied, "Why do you say that?" His answer was, "Because, the members of my board will not listen to me preach, for they are confident that they know far more about the Scriptures than I do.

They have attended so many prophetic conferences that they consider themselves authorities in the Word. Every time we come to a meeting, it is turned into an oral examination of the preacher to see how much he knows of the "details of prophecy."

Instead of supporting their pastor, these men made his life so miserable that it became necessary for him to seek a change of pastorates. It all went back to a SENSE OF PRIDE ? produced by their study of prophecy. This was a misuse of the Prophetic Scriptures. If we study so that it produces pride as a result of our studies, then it has become an instrument in the hand of Satan rather than an instrument in the hand of the Spirit of God.

God's Holy Spirit has the ministry to reproduce the mind of Christ in us, and through us to the world. We are witnesses of the Word.

THERE IS ANOTHER DANGER in the study of prophecy. Among some it has become a false basis of fellowship. Fellowship between believers is on the basis of the person and work of Jesus Christ. We unite together and have fellowship together because of our LORD and HIS work on our behalf. Yet there are some who are not willing to extend the right hand of fellowship to others who may have a different interpretation in the realm of prophecy.

Instead of putting the Lord Jesus Christ in the central place and giving Him His rightful preeminence, they have elevated some other doctrine or teaching in the Word as a false basis of fellowship. If any doctrine is elevated to the place of centrality and made the basis of fellowship, we are setting up a false test of fellowship and cannot know the blessing of God.

Another DANGER RISES FROM the fact that some people have given such intensive study to the subject of prophecy that they have completely missed seeing the Lord Jesus Christ in the study of the Word. The Scripture was given to us to reveal Jesus Christ. He is it's Theme. He is the Center about which all the Scripture revolves. If we become so interested in the Antichrist that Jesus Christ is removed from the place of centrality, and if we study the Word of God only to see on which side the Beast parts his hair, and miss the Lord Jesus Christ, then we have been sidetracked and derailed from that which is pre-eminent.

Remember that it is the Spirit's work to reveal Christ to us, ? not the antichrist.

GOD HAD A PURPOSE in revealing prophetic events in the Bible, and there will be results in the life of the believer from the study of these prophetic portions of the Word. To begin in a negative way, prophecy was not given to us just to satisfy our curiosity.

Everyone seems to have been born with a desire to know what is going to happen tomorrow. There is that insatiable curiosity in the natural man. That is why you will find fortunetellers and soothsayers and astrologers doing such a thriving business, for they pretend to be able to give a glimpse into the future.

However, prophecy was not given us just to satisfy our idle curiosity about future events. God has seen fit to take us into His confidence, as He unfolds His purposes and programs in the prophetic Word.

The first great result of the study of prophecy is that the prophetic Scriptures prove to us the authority of the entire Word of God. The Bible is different from every other religious book. There is no other book upon which a religion has been founded which includes prophecy within it. These books upon which false religions of false cults are founded seek to interpret the past or the present, but they are entirely silent upon the future. And yet, the Word of God, from the opening chapters of Genesis right through and including the closing chapters of the book of Revelation, contain countless prophecies. These revelations of coming events are authentications of the fact that the Bible is of divine origin and therefore both trustworthy and true.

The test of the truth of prophecy is always its fulfillment and if that which was prophesied came to pass, we would know that the prophecy was divinely inspired.

There is no greater test or proof of the inspiration, validity, authority, and trustworthiness of the Bible than the proof of fulfilled prophecy. This could be illustrated briefly by some of the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ. Hundreds of years before He was born, the Old Testament told us the time of His birth in Daniel chapter 9; the fact of the virgin birth in Isaiah 7; the place of His birth in Micah 5; the intimate details of His life and death in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53; the fact of His resurrection in Psalm 16.

ONE MATHEMATICIAN has figured out, considering only the prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ, that there is only one chance in 37 plus 93 zeros that the Bible could be right on the basis of guess alone.

God has revealed prophecy and then fulfilled some of the prophecies to prove that Scripture is of divine origin, is trustworthy, and is to be studied with confidence. After all, all that we know of God is that which is recorded for us in this Word. If it is not trustworthy, we have no revelation at all. But fulfilled prophecy proves to us that a God who can tell us what is yet in the future is a God who is to be trusted.

THERE IS A SECOND RESULT from the study of prophecy. Prophecy was given to us to reveal the power and wisdom of God. As we enter into an understanding of the prophetic Scriptures, we will come to a deeper knowledge of the power and the wisdom of our God.

This fact can be illustrated in Isaiah 7 where, more than 700 years before Christ was born, the fact of Christ's virgin birth was predicted by God through the prophet Isaiah. If you recall the historical background, you will remember that Ahaz was a king known for his godlessness and wickedness. He descended to new depths of degradation and iniquity in leading the children of Israel into the grossest forms of idolatry. God said He was going to punish the nation for its iniquity. Yet Ahaz thought he could prevent the fulfillment of God's purpose and could forestall any punishment on his nation.

God sent the prophet Isaiah to Ahaz with the announcement that God's judgment was coming and He was going to deal with the people. God would certify His word with a sign ? any sign Ahaz might ask.

Isaiah 7:11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

Ahaz could have asked God to bring someone back from the dead or he could have asked God to turn the sun backward in its course as He had done in the days of Ahaz' for bearers. If God did as Ahaz asked, it would have been a sign that God would fulfill His word and would bring an invader into the land. But Ahaz replied, "I will not tempt the Lord."

This was not humility on the king's part, but rather Ahaz was forbidding God to intervene in the affairs of the nation Israel. It is as though Ahaz knew God would fulfill His word, and he did not want to give God an opportunity to record the coming judgment.

ISAIAH RESPONDED to Ahaz' refusal by saying,

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

To understand this prophecy, I believe we have to realize that there are two sons in view here. The one was the son of the prophet Isaiah, referred to in verse 3.

Isaiah 7:3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; (KJV)

Isaiah took his small son, perhaps still a child in his arms, with him for the encounter with Ahaz. He is the first son. Ahaz is told that before the son in Isaiah's arms can grow up enough to know the difference between good and evil, the land will be scattered.

God is revealing a judgment coming on the land in the near future, which Ahaz will witness himself. But this leads us to the second son, the virgin-born Son, who some 750 years in the future, would come to bring judgment on the nation which would reject Him.

God is revealing both the near and distant future to Ahaz to show that He is a God of wisdom, a God of power, and that no wicked, godless king can prevent Him from doing what He has purposed to do.

Prophecy was given through Isaiah to reveal the power and wisdom of God. As we pursue this study of the prophetic Scriptures, we most certainly will come to new depths of understanding of the wisdom, power, and the might of our God.

ANOTHER RESULT OF THE STUDY OF PROPHECY is shown in Genesis 18, where we find that prophecy reveals the purposes of God. In this chapter, God appeared to Abraham and told him that the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed. This was a revelation of the purpose of God through predictive prophecy.

Genesis 18:17 And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

God took Abraham into an intimate fellowship with Himself and revealed what He purposed to do. Abraham would live to see the destruction of those cities. Apart from this revelation, he might well have asked himself the question, "Why did God do that?" "What was the purpose of destroying all that human life?"

God revealed His plan and purpose to Abraham so that when the destruction took place he might understand that God was a holy God, who could not continue to deal with sinful people any longer. This, as prophecy, was revealed to Abraham so that he might understand the purpose of God, so through the study of the prophetic Scriptures we will come to understand the unfolding purpose of God today.

AS WE STUDY THE DEVELOPMENT TO SOME OF THE GREAT EVENTS IN PROPHECY, such as:

the rise of the coming world dictator who will bring Europe under his authoritarian power

the rise of Russia and God's subsequent judgment of Russian Communism

How could one have predicted in 1990 that there would have been such changes in Russia. Amazing as it is ? it is a fact that God has punished Russia and we wait for more fulfilment to come!

the return of the Jews to Palestine and all of the events that take place during the tribulation period for Israel and the world

and the greatest tide of anti-Semitism the world has ever seen

we will see that God has revealed something of His plans and purposes to us so that our hearts shall not give way to fear as though God somehow has been deposed from His throne and the world has gotten out of His control.

There is nothing that will assure us as much that God is working all things according to the counsel of His own will as the fact that God knows the end from the beginning because all things are moving according to His predetermined and prophesied program. Prophecy will bring us into an intimate knowledge of the purpose of God.

Yet another result of the study of prophecy is revealed in the Gospel of John. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

The Lord had just told His disciples that He was going to leave them. He had predicted his death and resurrection. Up to this point, the disciples had been under his tutelage; they had been provided for by His power; they had been guided by His word. Their whole life had centered in Him. Now He tells them He is going away. What are they going to do? Who is going to proved for them? Who is going to guide them? Who will teach them? Who will protect them from their enemies? They were at a complete loss.

So Christ met their hearts need by revealing a prophetic event. John 14:2-3 The answer to their heart trouble was faith; faith in the person of God ["ye believe in God, believe also in me"] and faith in the program of God ["In my Father's house are many mansions"]

Prophecy here was designed to bring peace to the believer. This is one of the great results of the study of prophecy. It will bring peace and assurance to the child of God.

WE CAN HARDLY PICK UP A NEWS MAGAZINE OR LISTEN TO A NEWSCASTER WITHOUT HEARING THE THREATS OF NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION, OR WAR USING BIOLOGICAL WARFARE, AND POISONOUS GAS.

Ironic: 1991-1992 & 2001-2002 "", "", "", "", and on it goes. Rumors and Rumors or war. Does anyone notice that our difficulties seem always to be with the Moslem people? See Islam Revealed PDF

They talk about the destruction of civilization through the nuclear instruments of war. Yet the child of God who is acquainted with the prophetic Scriptures rests in assurance, because he has before him God's own blueprint of His plans for this world and its civilizations. The believer can trace the hand of God in current events and in the Scriptures, which reveal God's program and gives us confidence and assurance because we know that when man's night draws dark around him, God's Son of Righteousness will guide us through doubt and darkness and despair.

CLIMAXING IT ALL, God's great purpose in revealing prophecy to His children is to produce a holy life. The study of prophecy will not have fulfilled its desired result unless it does produce HOLY LIVING.

A SHORT TIME AGO, I LEAFED THROUGH THE PAGES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TO MARK EACH REFERENCE TO THE COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND TO OBSERVE THE USE MADE OF THAT TEACHING ABOUT HIS COMING.

I was amazed with the fact that almost without exception, when the coming of Christ is mentioned in the New Testament, it is followed by an exhortation to godliness and holy living.

While the study of prophecy will give us proof of the authority of the Word of God, we have missed the whole purpose of the study of prophecy if it does not conform us to the Lord Jesus Christ in our daily living.

The number of references to the coming of Christ is extensive, each with its application to daily living, only a few will be cited to illustrate the principle. Philippians 3:12

Here, the Apostle Paul expresses the great desire of his heart to know Christ and to be conformed to Him. Philippians 3:20-21

Paul viewed himself as an absentee citizen. Philippians 4:1 Here Paul concludes this teaching with a statement introduced by "therefore," which draws the conclusion to the affirmation of the fact of Christ's coming. In view of that event, they were to stand fast in the Lord. Colossians 3:1-5

In this passage, the apostle gives us the assurance of our identification with Christ in verses 1 through 3. In verse 4, he writes, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

Here St. Paul reveals that his whole life was lived in view of the coming Christ. The readers are to put to death all manifestations of the flesh, are to "put off" the sins of the flesh (verse 5), and are to "put on" the manifestations of the Spirit (verse 12).

See Titus 2:11

Paul's readers are here are reminded of the appearance of the salvation-bringing grace of God, which includes with it the precious expectation of the blessed hope of Christ's return: Titus 2:13

Verse 12 is an exhortation to deny "ungodliness and worldly lusts" and to live "soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" while anticipating the second coming of Christ.

Finally, here in 2 Peter 3, where the apostle is outlining the prophetic events, he says in verse 10:

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (KJV)

In verse 11, he gives us the application: 2 Peter 3:11-14

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (KJV)

Here, Peter has added his testimony to that of Paul: that the study of prophecy must produce a holy life before God and men.

I recall a time when I had been asked to make a call at a certain home. I had been promised that I would be there at my first opportunity. I had been rather indefinite as to when I would call, but I told them it would be as soon as possible. Because of the pressures against time, it was several days before I could get to the home. When I arrived, I was welcomed most cordially.

During the visit, several small children came into the living room where we were seated and stood and looked first at me, and then at their parents. Then they slipped away and we overheard the comment, "Good, he's come. Now home can be home again."

The mother smiled and told me that in anticipation of my visit the living room had been all tidied up. The children were not permitted to play there until after the pastor called, lest it be untidy when he arrived. The anticipation of a stranger's visit had produced a different kind of life in that home!

God has taken us into His confidence and has revealed Himself in the prophetic Scriptures. The study of those portions of the Word will give us proof of the authority of the Bible. It will reveal the power of God. It will cause us to understand the purposes of God. It will give the child of God the peace of God in his daily experience. But above it all, a study of the prophetic portions of the Word of God will produce a new kind of life in the light of His imminent return.

He has told us He will appear. Only the time is uncertain. It was Paul's desire to be found faithful if Christ should come in his day. Yet Christ has tarried that multitudes might come to SALVATION THROUGH His grace. Jesus Christ has tarried so that the church, His bride, might get itself in order.

We still have the promise that He could come at any moment. May the joy of looking for Him produce in us that holiness of life so that we will not be ashamed when we see Him.

Sodom and Gomorrah Rediscovered The story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Is there any evidence for the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction by fire and brimstone.

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