3) From the cross to our time.
In ancient times, before the flood, God said this about the people He had created: Then the Lord 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). This led to God wiping out almost all life on earth with the great flood.
What did people do in the time of the early church?
In Matthew 24:37, Jesus gives a description of what the world will be like just before He returns, and He says: But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
This is something that has developed over time. From the days of the early church when the entire church was pure and held fast to the Word of God, false teachings gradually began to creep into the church even while Jesus’ disciples were still alive, and we read in the 21 letters that they wrote that they address this problem.
One of the most successful attacks on God’s church in ancient times was when Satan first made Constantine emperor of the Roman Empire in the year 306. Seven years later, Constantine made Christianity one of many state religions in the Roman Empire, and now the ongoing apostasy really got wind in its sails. Since then, the various church councils under the auspices of the Catholic Church have constantly challenged God. They have tried to changed times and laws [see Daniel 7:25 (New International Version 1984)], by changing God’s holy day, the Sabbath, changing God’s Ten Commandments, introducing many pagan traditions into the church that stem from Babel, (Babylon) and the mystery religions of the East, to name a few.
How did God respond?
What did God do to forestall the apostasy? Let us look at what God says to the church through John and Revelation. The seven letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor represent the entire history of the church from Pentecost in the year 31 and until Jesus returns. In the letters to these seven churches, God tells the church what it must do to avoid ending up in the same situation that God’s people have experienced throughout history.
If we take our calling seriously, we must also take God’s recommendations seriously and live them with the help of Jesus. We must not involve ourselves with pagan traditions and rituals, man-made dogmas and pagan philosophy. In short, we must be pure before the Lord in all our ways, and not defile ourselves with «strange women«, that is, go along with the fallen churches.
In the letter to Ephesus, which is the first church and represents the early church, God makes this appeal in Revelation 2:4-5: Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
In the letter to Smyrna we find this appeal in Revelation 2:10: Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
The third letter is to the church in Pergamum, where we find the following exhortation in Revelation 2:14-16: But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
The fourth letter is to Thyatira, where we find this exhortation in Revelation 2:20-22: Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
In the fifth letter, which is to Sardis, Jesus says the following in Revelation 3:2-3: Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. 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.
In the sixth letter, we find the following exhortation to Philadelphia in Revelation 3:11: Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
And in the seventh letter to Laodicea, this is the call in Revelation 3:16-19: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
God has given us these descriptions so that we, as His church, can avoid making the same mistakes that God’s people have made in the past. The most important thing God says is that we must repent and hold fast to what we once received. Salvation is a fresh product, and Satan knows it. Therefore, he will do everything he can to get us to make the same mistakes that God’s people made in ancient times, and that the church has made over the years. We, who are God’s end-time church, have received so many blessings from God that we should understand that we should not flirt with the tones that come from the fallen churches. Even though this itches in our ears, we must stay far away.
What is happening in what is called the post-Christian era?
The political aspect.
Today it is said that we have complete freedom of expression. However, this is a claim with many modifications. It only applies to those who are politically correct. If you are so daring and go against what has been adopted by the world’s political leaders, behold, then in many cases sanctions of various kinds await you, such as being refused to do something because you are not politically correct or possibly prison for asserting your opinion. The democracy we boast about has died, and we are speeding into a totalitarian world. This is unfortunately inevitable, because it is implicit in the prophecies about the end times that this is something that will happen.
During the Covid19 pandemic, strict rules were introduced all over the world for how people should live. Both one and two meters of social distance were commanded, mask requirements were introduced, and eventually those who had not been vaccinated were refused access to, for example, the bank, restaurants or public transport, and much more. Some countries banned those who had not been vaccinated from going to work, and in some countries a curfew was imposed after a certain time in the evening. If you were stupid enough to break the curfew, you could, at worst, be shot by the police. Still, it was said that the vaccine was voluntary. Understand it whoever can!
In the last fifty years or so, there has been an explosion of people who have «suddenly come out of the closet.» On top of it all, people say that this is normal. It’s actually easy to find out what is normal, or what is God’s order. All you have to do is take 100 pairs of homosexual men and put them on a deserted and isolated island, 100 pairs of lesbian women on another deserted and isolated island, and 100 heterosexual couples on a third deserted and isolated island. Then we can see after 100 years how many there are on the different islands. What do you think?
Now, homosexuality is not a new phenomenon; people have been doing it since ancient times. It probably all started during great major military campaigns in ancient times and has continued over the years. The Bible is also full of warnings against this phenomenon, and Paul says in Romans 1:26-27 that both men and women exchanged natural relations so that women were with women and men were with men, which is against nature. Because they did not want to live by God’s law and commandments, but rather wanted to live in their wickedness, God gave them over to dishonorable passions so that they lived in shameful fornication.
I wonder what Paul had said in our time with all the strange shades of deviant sexual expressions. Not even imagination can set limits to what will be allowed. This is a result of what is happening in and around LGBTQI+. They have managed to achieve political acceptance of this, and even the fallen church has jumped on this wave and today there are many who live in homosexual or lesbian relationships who are ordained as priests or pastors or are given other prominent positions in the various churches.
In Leviticus 18:22 we find this text: Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination… // … and in 1 Corinthians 6:9 we read this: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.
As we see, God calls this form of cohabitation abomination, and yet the churches ordain priests and pastors who live in a homosexual or lesbian relationship. I mentioned above that not even imagination can set limits to what will be permitted, but our heavenly Father has already seen what will happen. In Leviticus 18:23 God says through Moses the following: Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination.
This is not currently permitted, but it will be forced through by the gay lobby before long. It is already happening, but public and political approval is still lacking. Marriage between three or more of all three genders (he, she and the gender-neutral pronoun hen) will also soon become a reality. There is nothing that can stop this freight train of wickedness once it has got under way. As long as marriage between one man and one woman is one of two sacred ordinances God instituted in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world, Satan will do everything in his power to destroy it.
Another phenomenon that this has produced is that people have become so confused that they no longer know what gender they are. Even children of preschool age who have no sexual preferences go around saying they were born in the wrong body. I sincerely feel sorry for these people who do not know whether they are male or female, and some change their gender faster than others change their shirts.
It should be easy to find out what gender you are/have. You just have to look down in your panties, and you’ll see it. Yet people come forward and claim that they were born in the wrong body. This is just part of the confusion that Satan has created, and it is applauded by the authorities almost all over the world.
The religious-climatic aspect.
Today there is a “climate crisis” in the world, if we believe the authoritarian authorities. It is even man-made, they claim. But what does the Bible say about this? Can we find anything that can help us find out if it is really man-made or if it is something that has been prophesied?
In Isaiah 51:6, God says through the prophet: Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
In Luke 21:25-26, Jesus says the following: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Let us look at what is happening here on earth in light of these three verses.
All over the world we see what is called sinkholes appearing. Of course, science has a logical explanation for this and says that it is because of the rain that penetrates the ground and washes away soil and sand so that the earth’s crust gives way and falls into deep holes. What I wonder is why it does not happen in places where it is rainy season, and where several meters of rain can fall in a relatively short time. Maybe someone can enlighten me? Another thing is that the mountains that we saw as eternal do not have eternity above them today, so far from it. Enormous mountain ranges are falling, but here too science steps in and blames man-made global warming.
God said in Isaiah 5:6 that the earth will age like a garment. Can what is happening in our time be described more precisely than this? And what about what Jesus said in Luke chapter 21? He said that people would be seized with fear. Just look at the places that used to be haunted by maybe one or two hurricanes a year. Now there are almost two hurricanes a month, and large areas that were previously not affected by storm surges, hurricanes and flooding are now being submerged as the sea rages and washes over places where people live. But, of course, it is not God’s prophecies that are coming true, because science says that this is due to humans polluting the atmosphere with what they call the “greenhouse gas” or the “climate gas” CO2. Without CO2, all life on this planet would die, just to put it in contrast.
What does God’s Word say about human knowledge? In 1 Corinthians 1:18-20, Paul says: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
This is precisely what is evident in the new religion that the papacy has also taken to heart. This religion is called “Climate Crisis”. A short time ago, in November 2022, heads of state from almost all the countries of the world gathered in Egypt under the leadership of Pope Francis and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The purpose of this meeting, COP 27, was to introduce the “Ten Commandments for the Environment”. What happened at Sinai was that a copy of God’s Ten Commandments was lifted up and thrown down on a rock so that the two stone tablets were shattered into tatters. Then the Ten Commandments for the environment were lifted up and worshipped. As we see, wickedness has taken complete control over most of the church denominations in the world, but this too is prophesied. We read the following in Daniel 7:25: … he shall speak [great] words against the most High … // … in Daniel 8:11 it says: … he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host … // … and in Daniel 8:25 we read this: … … … he shall even stand up against the Prince of princes.
Here it is the Catholic Church that is referred to in the prophecy, and we know that this church is behind COP 27 just to mention it, and as we see from the three verses from the book of Daniel, the prophecy says that this power will speak great words against the most High, magnify itself even to the Prince of hosts and stand up against the Prince of princes. This is what was also done during COP 27.
About the general lukewarmness in the world.
The apostle Peter writes the following about the last days: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 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, (2 Peter 3:3-4).
One would almost think that he had been here and seen how people have become, and how everything and everyone who reminds us of God and God’s faithful remnant in the end times is being mocked. Soon no one will preach the return of Jesus anymore, and the fallen churches will not bother to preach and explain the judgment. The Christians of the world have become so decadent that there have never been similar conditions on earth.
They will not listen to what God’s faithful remnant preach because it would mean giving up the wicked life they live. A life of luxury, where they eat and drink, marry and give in marriage, but this too is prophesied. In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus says: 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.
But if they raise up a false Christ, then they flock to him, and the fallen churches are full of false prophets who preach what people want to hear, and who speak against the Bible and what it says. In Mark 13:22 Christ says: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect. These false prophets have been given power by Satan to perform what appears to be real miracles, while in reality it is only based on lies and deception.
In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus explains to his disciples why he speaks in parables, saying: He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them, [Matthew 13:11-15 (see also Isaiah 6:9-10)].
That is how it is in our time as well. All those people who do not want to follow God and all of God’s commandments will not understand the message that is givenbecause they will not hear and they will not understand, and what is the saddest thing is that they will not believe.
When they watch TV and read in the newspapers about wars and rumors of wars, about famines, plagues and earthquakes, they just shrug their shoulders and say that it has always been like this. They are right in a way, but it is the scale of these events and their frequency that tells us that something big is approaching. There has been an exponential increase in all the general signs that Jesus gives in the Bible. The people of the world are just walking around in the same tracks all the time. There is no difference between people today and those who were lost in the flood.
In Noah’s day, no one believed Noah when he preached the coming judgment, but lived as if nothing could happen to them and the life they were living. Suddenly, they all perished except for God’s little faithful remnant, which at that time consisted of 8 people, Noah and his wife, their three sons and three daughters-in-law. The same thing will happen again, unless people wake up from their sleeping beauty sleep and turn to God.
The world will not accept that there is a judgment day coming. The world will not accept that Jesus will soon return to earth to take his faithful remnant. But the world lulls itself into a false peace and safety, (1 Thessalonians 5:3) but suddenly destruction will come upon them, as labor pains upon a woman giving birth. And they will not escape at all, (see 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Soon the gospel will be preached in all the world, and then the end will come, (Matthew 24:14). Are you ready for that day? Are you ready for the day Jesus returns? If not, seek God today and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Don’t wait until tomorrow, because that day may never come.
How are we to meet all these challenges?
When it comes to the interpretation of the scriptures by the fallen churches, the false prophets and the false Christs and how we should understand this, there is only one thing that applies. We find it in Isaiah 8:20 where it says: To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them. The law is the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and the testimony is the rest of the Old Testament. If what they preach is not based on this foundation, we must firmly reject it. Then it is false teaching. This is especially important to remember when we are exposed to false prophets and false Christs and their false preaching.
We must also fast on a regular basis during prayer. It is not enough to just pray; we must also fast regularly to get even closer to God. It is through prayer and fasting that we can truly draw closer to God, and in the time we are in now, and with the tribulations and persecutions that await us, we must be so closely connected to God that the devil cannot tear us out of God’s hands. The kind of fasting I have in mind is not the kind where we completely abstain from food for a long time, but rather the kind where we only eat healthy food and drink, and most of all, we take in spiritual food that our Father in heaven is more than happy to provide us with so that we will have strength and power to withstand all the attacks that Satan throws at us.
Furthermore, we must also be careful not to associate with the world. What is meant by the world is Babylon, which Revelation 18:2 mentions as follows: And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. If we associate with the world, we will be struck by the same judgments that Babylon will receive: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues, (Revelation 18:4).
We must also learn to trust God completely, and put ourselves in His strong, safe hands. We must let the Lord lead the work that we are to do in the absolute end times, then we must do our part in the work of preaching the end-time message. But the most important thing is that we seek God and His kingdom first, then He will preserve us through the tribulations that are coming, and He will provide for us in every way.