Understanding End Times

I think there's a ton of things going on in the world, rumors and things especially with regards to The Bible and what it says about end times. I don't profess to be an expert or a Bible scholar, but I know a little and figured I would share my knowledge about some of these rumors and things to maybe help some people out.

So, Revelation is the last book in the Bible, there are a number of books in the Bible, but this is the only book that offers a blessing to those that read it. It's the ONLY one (Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Rev 1:3) It is also the only one which has a timeline to it, and most people confuse this but It is also the Revelation of Jesus Christ, no one else. He gave us this so we can know what is going to take place, when he returns.

I'm sure a lot have heard about "the rapture", there's a lot of debate about when this will occur but before I talk about the rapture it's important to know what the Bible says will be going on in the world before the rapture actually happens, in the last days.

We live in the only generation in 2000 years of church history that now lives in a world where people come to church and don't really believe God created the world and everything in it ... a lot of church goers now a days, or people that say they believe in God are like ehhhh I don't know if I really believe he created everything, they more or less believe that evolution is how the world came into existence.

The Bible says that in the last day mockers will come, and in their mocking, they will mock the whole teaching of Jesus coming back. This refers to what's happening in the church not the world, people who know about the teaching, who know the Bible, who come to church ... not the world, not budists, or Muslims but people of the church. Its people in the church that will actually make fun of those who talk about end times prophecy. When people from the church "maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and by water." (2 Peter 3:3-5) God spoke the world into existence, and if you mock this or deny it, you are not trusting in God, you are trusting in a whole other process.

The Bible talks from cover to cover about Israel becoming a nation again in the final days. Ezekiel 36-39. It says In Matthew 24 from Jesus' own words that this will actually begin the final generation. We don't know the last days, but we do know the final generation.

Israel is the only nation on Earth that ceased to be a nation, it became desolate. People were murdered, attacked and dispersed out of the land. BUT in 1948 Israel became a nation again, it is the only one. The people were brought back from all corners of the world and now they are back in the land. This was a major prophesy in the Bible that came true, God promised to bless this land and to never let it fall again. Have you ever noticed that Israel .. being half the size of Florida has never been able to be defeated since? It has become extremely prosperous despite being surrounded by enemies and attacked constantly. In Matthew 24:34 when Jesus is asked about how to know when he will return again, he spoke about Israel and said that when you see these things, you will know he is at the door, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen." If you get a chance just read Chapter 24 of Matthew.

Another theme of the end days will be deception and demonic teachings. Matthew 24:24 says his people will be deceived, meaning people of faith will be deceived 1 Timothy 4:1 says some will fall away from the faith paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says that the last days will not come until you see the falling away of Christianity to more demonic teachings and imposters. Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. So basically, in end times there will be deception everywhere. When you are deceived, you don't know it .. so how do you know? You stick with The Bible, don't let anyone sway you from what God says. Deception begins with a partial truth and then is blown out of proportion.

We see that Israel is back in the land, weve seen it, it has happened .. and we are also having to remind people of faith that God is the creator of the world.

With this pandemic wouldn't you agree there is so much disinformation and deception, that nothing is really clear? Would you not agree that there is deception pretty much everywhere, that you are seeing more and more people practicing demonic traditions and witchcraft, believing in zodiac signs and worshiping Satan. Are there not multiple scientists all disagreeing with each other, medical authorities all contradicting each other. Landmark studies came out and says that masks are literally ineffective, but you were being told you could not buy or sell or come into stores without having a mask. Now you have governors and leaders telling you that you need to be vaccinated in order to shop, travel or really do much of anything anymore. There are a few like Ron Desantis who are fighting back against these mandates, but it could only be a matter of time before these things become mandatory everywhere in order to shop for groceries.

Revelation 13:16-17 says "And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 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".

We have no idea what this mark could be; computer chip, tattoo .. but whatever it ends up being it will stop you from being able to live normally without it. So dissecting things further, there are some scholars that pull the definition of the word mark: charagma- which is a scratch or etching: from charax, to sharpen to a point. There are a growing number of Bible scholars who are suggesting the mark could be a vaccine. Do I believe this is the mark of the beast? I wouldn't say that but it's interesting. The point is are we seeing a movement to things the Bible has said will happen? The Bible says things will go from bad to worse, that these things must happen. The end times will be like birth pains, slowly increasing worse and worse. Thing will not get better as time goes on; they will only increase negatively.

Timothy also says that "in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people". I believe we've always had this type of people in the world, but just from the time I have been alive, I've definitely noticed an increase in all of this. Crime, looting, protests, murders, sexual immorality, has increased ten fold since I was a child. You cannot even believe anything you hear on the news or on the internet because there are so many lies.

These are just some of the things I can unpack for you with regards to what the Bible says will happen when the end times are near. The Rapture is something that will happen to kick off everything described in the book of Revelation. There are debates from people as to whether the church goes through the tribulation or is removed before. In Revelation "the church" which, is named over 20 times in the beginning chapters, is no longer a part of the story as you go on, so there are a lot that believe the church goes up (by chapter 4) and the wrath of God comes down, and that is what I believe will happen. So will the church be part of the world when the mark is put on the world? No telling but it would appear that we would be removed and then that will begin the 7-year tribulation. "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." this signifies an event that will happen worldwide in all hours of the day.