Beginning of Sorrows?

[wretched]

Interesting article in the link below. Of course there are 100s daily similar to this on independent news sites lately.

Our Lord did tell us that wars, famine, pestilence and earthquakes would be in a diversity of areas on the earth RIGHT BEFORE they come for us. Matthew 24

guillotines

Prepare yourselves; your chance to NOT DENY the Lord is approaching quick IMO. They won't be just mocking us soon!

[SureWord]

What is currently happening in America does resemble the Reign of Terror in France.

I remember reading about how the Chinese Communists would crucify whole villages who wouldn't send their children to be "reeducated". I also read a book (I wish I can remember the title) years ago of a Korean Christian who spent time in a "reeducation camp" during the 1950's and the horrible things that happened to political and religious prisoners. One where they buried a whole family of Christians alive. They never did renounce Christ.

I would like to think I'd stand strong but there's no way unless God gives me the strength. I can barely drive by an Arby's without given in I couldn't imagine how hard it would be not to cave when persecution comes.

[Pastor Matt]

Interesting article. Just look around, we can't be too far off from His return.

[Pastor Scott Markle]

This past Sunday evening I presented a message from Matthew 24:4-14 entitled, "Expect These Things."  The theme of the message was that we New Testament believers should expect certain things to occur throughout this time of the church age.  In Matthew 24:4-14 our Lord provided a prophetic utterance concerning things that SHALL occur.  He was not speaking concerning the future Tribulation Period, for He does not speak concerning that until Matthew 24:15.  Rather, He was speaking concerning the time period in which we are at the very present -- the time period of the New Testament church.  What then should we expect throughout this present time?

1.  Circumstantial Crises 

     "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: SEE THAT YE BE NOT TROUBLED: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places."

2.  Religious Persecution

     "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations FOR MY NAME'S SAKE."

3.  Societal Violence (Hatred)

    "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."  (Grammatical Note:  In the previous verse our Lord spoke about "them" hating "you," that is -- us believers.  However, in the present verse our Lord spoke about "many" hating "one another."  Thus I believe that grammatically our Lord was speaking about two different scenarios -- (1) Those of the world hating faithful believers in verse 9 and (2) those of the world hating one another in verse 10.)

4.  Doctrinal Falsehood

     "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." 
     Even as our Lord's opening warning -- "Take heed that no man deceive you.  For manyshall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

5.  Abounding Iniquity

     "And because iniquity shall abound."

6.  Spiritual Compromise

     "The love of many shall wax cold."  (Note: We ourselves should take warning that we NOT yield unto the spiritual compromise of worldliness, even as many other believers around us may.  Rather, we should be among those who abide faithful "unto the end," even as our Lord encouraged in verse 13.)

7.  Continuing Responsibility

    "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."  (Note: Not matter what among the above things we may actually face in our own experience, our responsibility to preach the gospel unto the lost of this world ever continues.)

 

I pray that this little Bible study message may be "good to the use of edifying," and that it will not detract from the purpose of the original posting.

[DoctorDaveT]

Pastor Markle,

Thanks for the good post. I have recently preached from Luke's version of this account. Like most Christians I know, prophecy is a favorite topic of mine.

May I quibble with one point? Matt 24:15 mentions The Abomination of Desolation. According to Premillennial eschatology, that takes place in the middle of the Tribulation period (near to exactly, depending on which measurement of time you reckon by). That means that everything that occurs prior to v15 is "pre-Middle of the Tribulation" and not "pre-Tribulation."

What I find so interesting about that is this: in this passage, Jesus doesn't give a time stamp as to when the Tribulation begins. His time stamp starts with the mid-point of the Tribulation. So the events before hand could be first half trib, or events leading up to and into the first half of the trib - which is how I see it.

Like you probably (can't quote you on this yet), but I believe we're in the last days of the last days. The political and social events that describe the Tribulation aren't going to start like a flipped light switch in a dark room. Rather, they are going to simply be a continued increase in darkness; but so much more when the salt and light of the church are removed.

From a practical standpoint, I give a hearty "amen" to your sermon notes. Thanks much for the encouragement to stand and to continue with our responsibility of living out our faith. Times are about to get hard.

[Pastor Scott Markle]

45 minutes ago, DoctorDaveT said:

Pastor Markle,

Thanks for the good post. I have recently preached from Luke's version of this account. Like most Christians I know, prophecy is a favorite topic of mine.

May I quibble with one point? Matt 24:15 mentions The Abomination of Desolation. According to Premillennial eschatology, that takes place in the middle of the Tribulation period (near to exactly, depending on which measurement of time you reckon by). That means that everything that occurs prior to v15 is "pre-Middle of the Tribulation" and not "pre-Tribulation."

What I find so interesting about that is this: in this passage, Jesus doesn't give a time stamp as to when the Tribulation begins. His time stamp starts with the mid-point of the Tribulation. So the events before hand could be first half trib, or events leading up to and into the first half of the trib - which is how I see it.

Like you probably (can't quote you on this yet), but I believe we're in the last days of the last days. The political and social events that describe the Tribulation aren't going to start like a flipped light switch in a dark room. Rather, they are going to simply be a continued increase in darkness; but so much more when the salt and light of the church are removed.

From a practical standpoint, I give a hearty "amen" to your sermon notes. Thanks much for the encouragement to stand and to continue with our responsibility of living out our faith. Times are about to get hard.

Brother Dave, I do agree that Matthew 24:15 speaks concerning the middle of the Tribulation Period (as per Daniel 9:27, as well as Revelation 12-13).  However, I believe that the parallel passage to Matthew 24:4-14 is Luke 21:8-24; and in Luke 21:24 our Lord declared, "And they [the Israelites] shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."  Now, I believe that "the times of the Gentiles" are primarily encompassed by the church age (as per Romans 11:25-27).  Yet I can acknowledge with technical precision that the "times of the Gentiles" would not end until "the fulness of the Gentiles be come in," and that "the fulness of the Gentiles" (as per Romans 11:25-27) is immediately followed by our Lords Second Coming.  Thus I am compelled to acknowledge with technical precision that the our Lord's descriptives in Matthew 24:4-14 would indeed extend into the Tribulation Period.  However, I believe that His primary intention was to provide us with an understanding concerning that which we New Testament believers should expect throughout the entirety of the church age.  Thus the focus of my message.

As far as the beginning of the Tribulation Period, I believe that it will be signaled by the revealing of the antichrist (as per 2 Thessalonians 2:3); and I believe this revealing will involve his authority in some manner for the Israelites to reengage the sacrificial system of the Sinai covenant (as per Danial 9:27).  But I am not certain that most people will pick up on that reality when it comes.

As far as believing that we are "in the last days of the last days," I simply do not know and will not make the claim.  Are we closer than the time of the apostles?  No doubt, for the march of time certainly makes that obvious.  How close are we?  I do not know.  We commonly recognize our Lord's declaration that no man would know the day or the hour.  However, our Lord also declared in Acts 1:7 that it is simply not for us "to know the times or the season."  Now, I believe that such claims as -- in our life time, or in our generation -- are actually an attempt at establishing "the times," even if they are not an attempt at establishing that actual day or hour.  Because of our Lord's declaration in Acts 1:7, I will not engage in any such claim; for I believe that it is just as inappropriate for me to do so, as to set the day or hour.  On the other hand, do I believe that the rapture could occur at any moment?  Most certainly.  

[DoctorDaveT]

49 minutes ago, Pastor Scott Markle said:

Yet I can acknowledge with technical precision that the "times of the Gentiles" would not end until "the fulness of the Gentiles be come in," and that "the fulness of the Gentiles" (as per Romans 11:25-27) is immediately followed by our Lords Second Coming.  Thus I am compelled to acknowledge with technical precision that the our Lord's descriptives in Matthew 24:4-14 would indeed extend into the Tribulation Period.

Thanks.

[Hugh_Flower]

This is an odd one for me as I pray about this in two different ways. A quickening - a soon rapture to leave this world and to meet my Lord. And the other, a delay - a period of time where I may bring more people to the Lord with a hope that I may have enough time to have children of my own. I am a young man and desire a family, and so I put my back to work as to build a home so I may see my dream. However, I understand my ambition means not much but a earthly filled desire and may never be fulfilled as the Lord's will is what must be done. I digress. I pray.