Post by Rob W. Case on Jul 28, 2008 13:06:22 GMT -6
Editor's Note: What you are about to read is a revised and easier to understand (for non-Christians) article based on a message I gave at my church on July 13th, 2008. A lot of deep, detailed research went into the compiling of this piece, and I would like to share this hope with you, my well appreciated readers.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide to you, in a potent way, the whole idea of the rapture and bring you the scope as to why the rapture is completely necessary in today’s environment.
First off, the whole idea of the rapture is one of those things which requires faith. Since we are not accustomed to witnessing radically supernatural occurrences the way ancient Jews did, it is somewhat difficult for a skeptic to comprehend the reality of such radical things happening like that today. But just because it sounds radical and unrealistic doesn’t mean that it is so. After all, a promise is a promise, and if God promises something, then you can count on the fact that He will make good on them. After all, he made good on all the old ones in the sense that he promised that he would send us his son. We all know that son to be Jesus. Jesus not only fulfilled all of the prophecies in which we could correctly identify Him when he was on earth, but he is the only one who conquered death. There are no remains of Jesus Christ left here on earth. Every other religious leader known to man has a tomb that conceals within it a body. As for Jesus, there is the tomb (today displayed within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher), but there is no body inside. That is how we know that Jesus is THEE son of God and that He is the Messiah. But there is more. There are still more promises that have yet to be fulfilled, and by the time Christ returns to earth, you can be sure that He will make good on the remaining promises still yet to be fulfilled.
Christ talked about the times that he was going to walk into when he returns. They are not good times. They are times of wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6). They are times when people, even Christians, would be bitter towards other people, and people would hate each other (Matthew 24:10). They are times when fanatic religious groups without the Bible or the Spirit as their guide, would come out of the woodwork and dupe people into following them (Matthew 24:11). They are times which would be corrupt (Matthew 24:37, Genesis 6:11). They are times of peril (2 Timothy 3:1), as many world leaders become dangerous to levels unlike anything seen since the beginning of this earth (Matthew 24:21). Meanwhile as all these things continue to materialize in newer and darker strains, there are individuals in high places trying to assemble a one world government, paving the way for a leader who can control all tribes, languages, peoples, and nations (Revelation 13:7). This is achieved within the political process. In fact, the United Nations contains these exact characteristics and their goal is to strive towards a single global order. You can be sure; it’s not that it is going to happen. It is, and has been happening since 1948 and it continues to do so now, but with more intensity, more than ever before.
As the efforts of assembling a global government today advances, the political structure within the nations that are forming this government is becoming very similar to that of the Government within the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. To best understand the political climate, one must read the book of Jasher, a book that is not included in the Bible, but is a Historical book that offers further in-depth details relating to the political climate relating to Sodom and Gomorrah that the book of Genesis doesn’t go as deep into. The deeper details regarding this wicked city can be found within the 19th Chapter of this book of Jasher.
1. Today’s Governments and the Reconstruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
- A. Open Displays of Sexual Immorality Protected By Law
Then: Jasher 19:3
And by desire of their four judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in the streets of the cities, and if a man came to these places they laid hold of him and brought him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them.
Of course, this law was written to allow the raping of men by other men in front of anyone and everyone who walked by. The law was designed to grant approval of homosexual rape on public display, but I am going to focus more on the open display of public sex part to make my point.
Now: Amsterdam to Legalize Sex in Public Park
Dutch Alderman Paul van Grieken has plans to allow public sex as part of this summer's new rules of conduct for the country's best-known park, Vondelpark.
(Source: www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2761207.html -- Dutch Newspaper)
Bristol City Council wants to prune bushes and remove cover from an area known as the Downs to improve the landscape and encourage rare wildlife. But its own gay rights group has opposed the move, claiming that cutting back the bushes was "discriminating" to homosexual men who used the area for late night outdoor sex….
(Source: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2263277/Plans-to-clear-undergrowth-from-gay-sex-spot-branded-discriminatory.html?service=print -- UK Telegraph)
In Europe we see trends like these, and many others advancing.
B. Encouraging Hatred and Coldness:
Jasher 19:8-9 And when a poor man came to their land they would give him silver and gold, and cause a proclamation in the whole city not to give him a morsel of bread to eat, and if the stranger should remain there some days, and die from hunger, not having been able to obtain a morsel of bread, then at his death all the people of the city would come and take their silver and gold which they had given to him. 9 And those that could recognize the silver or gold which they had given him took it back, and at his death they also stripped him of his garments, and they would fight about them, and he that prevailed over his neighbor took them.
(Overview: You see, when a needy man entered the city it was illegal to feed him or show him acts of compassion for others. The penalty for showing compassion towards the likes of such people was death. People would behave like animals, fighting for the poor man’s garments, and the one with the most force would win them.)
Then:
Eliezer went to Sodom, and when he went there, he saw a poor man begging. A man of Sodom went up to the poor man, stripped him of his clothes, stealing them, and then went off. When he saw this, he went up to the man of Sodom and on the poor man’s defense, he asked him why he did that. The man of Sodom answered the man with a question. “Is this man your brother?” In other words, he was asking Eliezar “What do you care?” The man of Sodom obviously showed contempt for the poor man. He obviously saw himself as higher than the poor man and, protected by law, he did what he felt like doing.
How often do we see people steal from others and with contempt, and not care about what people do to others? After Eliezer questioned the man of Sodom, the matter ended up before a Judge. When Elizer told the Judge of what the man of Sodom had done to the poor man, the Judge sided with the man of Sodom saying, “this is the custom in our land.”
Now: What happens when someone steals from us? Because of corrupt Judges, a thief, much like the one in Sodom, can legally get more cash wise if the person defending his property, wife, and family, shoots him. In other words, if you really want to make more money, steal from somebody else, burglarize them, and sue if the property owner shoots you.
Several Examples:
--Burglar has right to sue Tony Martin, judge rules (UK Guardian)
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/jun/14/tonymartin.ukcrime
-- Accused Burglar Sues Homeowner Who Shot Him (ABC Affiliate—Milwaukee WI)
www.wisn.com/news/9950016/detail.html
Duncan Ferguson May Be Charged for stopping Burglar (Kirkby Times)
www.kirkbytimes.co.uk/news_items/2003_news/duncan_fergusan_burglar.html
Excerpt: “The burglary was disturbed by Duncan Ferguson who found the burglar in his home and immediately tackled him. The burglar is now accusing Ferguson of assaulting him and is putting himself forward as a victim as is becoming the fashion for various lowlife in society.”
So, just like in the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Judges side with those who steal. So, in comparison to today, one can safely conclude that Judges side with the corrupt, and are corrupt themselves.
The Straw that broke the camel’s back!
Brief Summary of Jasher 19:24-44:
Lot had a daughter named Paltith, and one of the men from Sodom took Paltith as his wife. After a decree was issued to starve this one poor man to death, Paltith saw him hungering in the streets, and showed compassion towards him. She fed him, gave him water, and she did this for many days. The people in Sodom (apparently they didn’t have anything better to do) was wondering why this man wasn’t dropping dead after not being fed for some time. It wasn’t until one day, three men caught Paltith providing the poor man bread and water. So she was brought before the Judges. For breaking the law, Paltith was sentenced to death. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah gathered, built a fire, and then tossed her into it until her body became ashes.
Now, there is an interesting dynamic happening here today. Sure, people, especially Christians are put to death in creatively evil ways, but let’s look at this from an additional perspective.
Watch this….
John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 4:14
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
What happens in too many areas throughout the world? People are given the death penalty for offering others the “bread of life” and the “water” of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 11:32-40
32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned[f]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
It began with Stephen, saints dying for Jesus: stretched on the rack, boiled in oil, cast in among serpents, thrown to lions. Four to twenty million killed by the Roman Empire, and thirty million since: skinned alive, burned at the stake, babies dashed against walls, pregnant women ripped open. Millions murdered by Nazis, a million Sudanese butchered by Muslims & many by crucifixion. In Cambodia, a million more, and Christians in Nigeria, Somalia, in Israel by Palestinians, in China, North Korea, in India 30 churches and institutions destroyed, many people shot and injured in gunfire from Sangh mobs…and on Christmas Day too!
GCIC- Global Council of Indian Christians (http://www.persecution.in/) persecution.in/orissa_christians_persecution_pictures
So, it can be easily said that today’s world is in many ways comparable or at least progressively forming (ripening) to the conditions of Sodom and Gomorrah, but more on a global scale.
So what happened with Sodom and Gomorrah? The same thing that happened to the earth in Noah’s day. The sins became so great, and the corruption of mankind was so strong and vile that God decided to get rid of the “breeding grounds” of such vile and destructive behavior. In simple terms, he destroyed evil by destroying man.
Some people might look at that and think that what God did was mean and cruel. No, way. He gave them a chance to change, and they refused to do so. So God did the only logical thing he could do. Get rid of the “infection,” before it had a chance to infect the rest of the world.
The Coming Events:
So, if the conditions of Sodom and Gomorrah are advancing today, then why hasn’t God destroyed this world? Because God is not going to destroy it this time. God will allow man to do what man desires, and man’s actions will lead to the inevitability of the world’s destruction. This will lead to many of the horrors described in the book of Revelation. You see man’s heart is by nature evil. Man’s heart is in opposition with God. That is why there were so many people who wanted Christ crucified. He did nothing wrong, nor did He commit any crimes. He simply showed people the nature of their hearts and they didn’t like what they saw. That was probably the main drive that helped send Him to the cross. But anyway, without God, the human heart does what it wants, and the way we humans work is that sometimes other people step on our toes, and many times people are out to destroy us so that they can further advance their own interests. The human heart is selfish, proud, angry, bitter, and hostile towards God and that is why. This is why wars are formed. That is why there could never be peace with the way we are. There will always be someone to rob us of our peace because they desire to have absolute control over the world. One wants what the other has, and tries to aim for it. This is human nature. The world is being led by the instincts of human nature, and it is therefore leading to our destruction. So why haven’t we been destroyed yet?
Because there is something holding the full effects of this back. What is holding the full effects of these things happening back? Christians. Why Christians? Because, as Christians we possess the Holy Spirit who works within us and mobilizes us to get engaged and then get involved to hold back as best we can these radical and destructive elements. You see it when we get involved in politics. You see it when we protest. You see it all over.
The Advancer and the Restrainer
The Antichrist
Galatians 5:19-23
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
--Human nature, especially Godless human nature has a fierce lust for control. This world, in their eyes, belongs to them, and like a spoiled child, they are holding on tightly to their “bottle.” This “bottle” is their power. They will stop at nothing to obtain it, and stop at nothing to maintain and secure it. Where you find selfishness, you find everything wrong and chaotic, and in that, when you speak to someone who is selfish and controlling, how do they respond when it comes to things relating to Jesus Christ? They show either deep hostility, or they simply display a cold reaction, or reception to Him and all that relates to Him. They also never consider acknowledging God in their decision making. Did the people of Sodom and Gomorrah acknowledge God in their decision-making? No! They did what they wanted to do, whenever they wanted to do it, and felt nothing when they hurt other people.
And these attitudes were enforced by the leaders of their empire. Similarly today, these attitudes are held by many leaders in many governments, and they are growing.
Say Hello to the Spirit of Antichrist:
1 John 4:2-3
3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
God is not going to forever sit idly by. Sure, he is going to allow what is going on, but he will allow it for so long. When he finally takes action, He is going to do something radical that he has never done, and it involves those who have accepted Christ as their savior.
I Corinthians 15:51-52 –Addresses the Mystery that is the Rapture.
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
I Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
God is going to raise those who have accepted Christ as their savior up to his Kingdom. The worse things get here on earth, the more it will naturally by selfish human nature become like Sodom and Gomorrah. And with all of the Christians gone, taken out of the way, the Sodom and Gomorrah aspects will develop far more rapidly, as there will be little to no political resistance to restrain these things. Without the restrainer, the harshest conditions will virtually occur overnight.
Luke 17:26-29
26"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
How was it in Noah’s Day? Go to Genesis 6:11
Genesis 6:11
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.
Back to Luke;
27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
In other words, people were going about their business as usual. They were going about their lives without so much as a mere acknowledgment to the warnings that were available to them. They simply just went about their lively routines, and didn’t take God seriously. They laughed, and treated those warnings as if they were make-believe stories.
28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
Their ignoring the warnings of what was coming served a purpose, but the only time they paid attention to what was coming was when it was too late, and there was no further chance to escape. God gave them a chance before the punishment occurred, but they chose (out of their own free will) not to listen.
Two very interesting dynamics appear regarding both the days of Noah and Lott.
1. People were progressing to the point where they were viciously wicked.
2. God spared ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS from destruction.
In Noah’s day, God spared Noah and anybody who acknowledged God and lived righteously. In Lot’s day, God spared Lot and those in his family who were both receptive in listening to Him and as a result, was then obedient.
In Genesis 18:20-21, God tells Abraham of his plans to Judge Sodom and Gomorrah.
20Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
Then Abraham asks God an excellent question.
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
So this back and forth between God and Abraham occurs, but with the numbers of righteous gradually decreasing.
Abraham asks, that if for the sake of 50, 45, 40, 20, and then finally…10, righteous people, will God hold back his destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 18:32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
But, we know how it all went. There was none righteous, and God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Today the archaeological remains of that city serve not only as a testimonial relic of God’s anger towards wickedness, but also serve as a lesson as to what can happen when God is pushed beyond extreme limits.
Today throughout the world, there are millions and millions of Christians armed with the message of Jesus Christ, and through Christ, offer the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just as Titus 2:11-14 says…
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
During the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, there were so few righteous people that God told those few to get out of the city so that he could destroy the city. At this very moment, it is next to impossible for the millions of Christians who live in today’s political climate to be able to physically escape such conditions. These conditions are everywhere, as are Christians, and they will only advance further and further. So, like the days of Noah and Lot, God will save us who have accepted his Son as our Savior from the harsh conditions that are to come on earth the way he can do best… snatch us away, bodily, to Heaven to be with the Lord so that we will be able to escape the earth. After all, for the sake of however billions of Christians who are currently on the earth, God will spare the destruction of this world until his patience runs out, and the doors to his mercy expires. This is the promise.
This is the event we Christians call the rapture, which means “a rapid movement,” and this is a promise which will serve two functions.
1. It promises to reunite us believers with our savior, Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:10—Why God will take Christians away from the hell that is to come.
10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
2. It leaves a Godless earth to her own devices, allowing it exactly what it asks for, and no Christian, when this occurs, will be bodily present here on earth to prevent the consequences of these godless, selfish, and evil people from arising to the fullest extents possible. In addition to all of these unrestrained consequences, God will send the earth a powerful delusion to test those who remain on the earth.
II Thessalonians 2:7-12
7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
In the verse I just stated, God explains to Paul details for this coming delusion. This verse is in many ways comparable, to the explanation God gave Isaiah 750 some years earlier.
Isaiah 66:4-6
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me."
5 Hear the word of the LORD,
you who tremble at his word:
"Your brothers who hate you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
'Let the LORD be glorified,
that we may see your joy!'
Yet they will be put to shame.
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the LORD
repaying his enemies all they deserve.
This event will also rid us Christians of our own corruptibility, which right now still remains because of our selfish and sinful human nature. We will then be whole because our Spirit will have no more conflict with our fallible human nature.
Philippians 3:20-21
20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
So, can you see and understand a little bit more to a certain extent as to why this event called the rapture is necessary?
Can you understand how the more gruesome events foretold in Revelation can come to pass, especially without the force which holds the more vicious sorts of stuff back?
Think about it…. The corrupt governments which reside in this world are led by the same types of people advocating the very things that the prophetic books of Daniel, Revelation, etc. warns about. They do so naturally out of their own hearts and don’t even realize it, much less even consider so much as a hint of a thought that they are doing it. People don’t judge themselves by God’s eyes, or God’s standards. They think they are good, and whatever is good to them is whatever serves their own interests. Good is a relative word that can be tossed around, but in God’s eyes, these people who think they are so good contain within them so much wickedness, blindness, and ignorance, thinking that they are righteous, clear-thinking, and intelligent. They are prideful, and hold God, the Bible, and Christians to ridicule. But one thing never, ever fails, and I see this every single day of my life. Those people by their own nature do exactly to the world what the Bible says they will do without the presence of God in their daily lives. That is another reason why we can be 100% sure that all of the more radical end-time moments foretold in the Bible can materialize. When you remove the Christians from the world equation, those radical end-time moments foretold in the Bible don’t seem so radical anymore. They become more logical as the lawlessness within human nature seems to push the law further and further until there is no law left at all.
At the moment of this writing, these predictions may be called into question by some, yet when the time comes, they will hold significant dominance in people’s minds until what we know today as the future inevitably becomes the current moment.
For us Christians, the very idea of the promise of the rapture currently serves as being our….
--Blessed hope.
--Moment where we will be reunited with Christ.
--Moment of escape from the more radical elements which, because of injustice and corruption.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
God will always deliver on his promises. Since he is a God of truth, no matter how radical, or how unrealistic they may seem to our currently limited intellect, one thing is for absolute certain; he will deliver on his promises (as he has already done so in the past), so the wisest thing for one to do is accept and expect. Accept Christ as your savior, and expect his promises to be fulfilled. Otherwise there is no hope left, but in those already higher than you who look out for their own self-interests… at your expense. So really, other than Christ, there is no hope left at all.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide to you, in a potent way, the whole idea of the rapture and bring you the scope as to why the rapture is completely necessary in today’s environment.
First off, the whole idea of the rapture is one of those things which requires faith. Since we are not accustomed to witnessing radically supernatural occurrences the way ancient Jews did, it is somewhat difficult for a skeptic to comprehend the reality of such radical things happening like that today. But just because it sounds radical and unrealistic doesn’t mean that it is so. After all, a promise is a promise, and if God promises something, then you can count on the fact that He will make good on them. After all, he made good on all the old ones in the sense that he promised that he would send us his son. We all know that son to be Jesus. Jesus not only fulfilled all of the prophecies in which we could correctly identify Him when he was on earth, but he is the only one who conquered death. There are no remains of Jesus Christ left here on earth. Every other religious leader known to man has a tomb that conceals within it a body. As for Jesus, there is the tomb (today displayed within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher), but there is no body inside. That is how we know that Jesus is THEE son of God and that He is the Messiah. But there is more. There are still more promises that have yet to be fulfilled, and by the time Christ returns to earth, you can be sure that He will make good on the remaining promises still yet to be fulfilled.
Christ talked about the times that he was going to walk into when he returns. They are not good times. They are times of wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6). They are times when people, even Christians, would be bitter towards other people, and people would hate each other (Matthew 24:10). They are times when fanatic religious groups without the Bible or the Spirit as their guide, would come out of the woodwork and dupe people into following them (Matthew 24:11). They are times which would be corrupt (Matthew 24:37, Genesis 6:11). They are times of peril (2 Timothy 3:1), as many world leaders become dangerous to levels unlike anything seen since the beginning of this earth (Matthew 24:21). Meanwhile as all these things continue to materialize in newer and darker strains, there are individuals in high places trying to assemble a one world government, paving the way for a leader who can control all tribes, languages, peoples, and nations (Revelation 13:7). This is achieved within the political process. In fact, the United Nations contains these exact characteristics and their goal is to strive towards a single global order. You can be sure; it’s not that it is going to happen. It is, and has been happening since 1948 and it continues to do so now, but with more intensity, more than ever before.
As the efforts of assembling a global government today advances, the political structure within the nations that are forming this government is becoming very similar to that of the Government within the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. To best understand the political climate, one must read the book of Jasher, a book that is not included in the Bible, but is a Historical book that offers further in-depth details relating to the political climate relating to Sodom and Gomorrah that the book of Genesis doesn’t go as deep into. The deeper details regarding this wicked city can be found within the 19th Chapter of this book of Jasher.
1. Today’s Governments and the Reconstruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
- A. Open Displays of Sexual Immorality Protected By Law
Then: Jasher 19:3
And by desire of their four judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in the streets of the cities, and if a man came to these places they laid hold of him and brought him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them.
Of course, this law was written to allow the raping of men by other men in front of anyone and everyone who walked by. The law was designed to grant approval of homosexual rape on public display, but I am going to focus more on the open display of public sex part to make my point.
Now: Amsterdam to Legalize Sex in Public Park
Dutch Alderman Paul van Grieken has plans to allow public sex as part of this summer's new rules of conduct for the country's best-known park, Vondelpark.
(Source: www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2761207.html -- Dutch Newspaper)
Bristol City Council wants to prune bushes and remove cover from an area known as the Downs to improve the landscape and encourage rare wildlife. But its own gay rights group has opposed the move, claiming that cutting back the bushes was "discriminating" to homosexual men who used the area for late night outdoor sex….
(Source: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2263277/Plans-to-clear-undergrowth-from-gay-sex-spot-branded-discriminatory.html?service=print -- UK Telegraph)
In Europe we see trends like these, and many others advancing.
B. Encouraging Hatred and Coldness:
Jasher 19:8-9 And when a poor man came to their land they would give him silver and gold, and cause a proclamation in the whole city not to give him a morsel of bread to eat, and if the stranger should remain there some days, and die from hunger, not having been able to obtain a morsel of bread, then at his death all the people of the city would come and take their silver and gold which they had given to him. 9 And those that could recognize the silver or gold which they had given him took it back, and at his death they also stripped him of his garments, and they would fight about them, and he that prevailed over his neighbor took them.
(Overview: You see, when a needy man entered the city it was illegal to feed him or show him acts of compassion for others. The penalty for showing compassion towards the likes of such people was death. People would behave like animals, fighting for the poor man’s garments, and the one with the most force would win them.)
Then:
Eliezer went to Sodom, and when he went there, he saw a poor man begging. A man of Sodom went up to the poor man, stripped him of his clothes, stealing them, and then went off. When he saw this, he went up to the man of Sodom and on the poor man’s defense, he asked him why he did that. The man of Sodom answered the man with a question. “Is this man your brother?” In other words, he was asking Eliezar “What do you care?” The man of Sodom obviously showed contempt for the poor man. He obviously saw himself as higher than the poor man and, protected by law, he did what he felt like doing.
How often do we see people steal from others and with contempt, and not care about what people do to others? After Eliezer questioned the man of Sodom, the matter ended up before a Judge. When Elizer told the Judge of what the man of Sodom had done to the poor man, the Judge sided with the man of Sodom saying, “this is the custom in our land.”
Now: What happens when someone steals from us? Because of corrupt Judges, a thief, much like the one in Sodom, can legally get more cash wise if the person defending his property, wife, and family, shoots him. In other words, if you really want to make more money, steal from somebody else, burglarize them, and sue if the property owner shoots you.
Several Examples:
--Burglar has right to sue Tony Martin, judge rules (UK Guardian)
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/jun/14/tonymartin.ukcrime
-- Accused Burglar Sues Homeowner Who Shot Him (ABC Affiliate—Milwaukee WI)
www.wisn.com/news/9950016/detail.html
Duncan Ferguson May Be Charged for stopping Burglar (Kirkby Times)
www.kirkbytimes.co.uk/news_items/2003_news/duncan_fergusan_burglar.html
Excerpt: “The burglary was disturbed by Duncan Ferguson who found the burglar in his home and immediately tackled him. The burglar is now accusing Ferguson of assaulting him and is putting himself forward as a victim as is becoming the fashion for various lowlife in society.”
So, just like in the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Judges side with those who steal. So, in comparison to today, one can safely conclude that Judges side with the corrupt, and are corrupt themselves.
The Straw that broke the camel’s back!
Brief Summary of Jasher 19:24-44:
Lot had a daughter named Paltith, and one of the men from Sodom took Paltith as his wife. After a decree was issued to starve this one poor man to death, Paltith saw him hungering in the streets, and showed compassion towards him. She fed him, gave him water, and she did this for many days. The people in Sodom (apparently they didn’t have anything better to do) was wondering why this man wasn’t dropping dead after not being fed for some time. It wasn’t until one day, three men caught Paltith providing the poor man bread and water. So she was brought before the Judges. For breaking the law, Paltith was sentenced to death. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah gathered, built a fire, and then tossed her into it until her body became ashes.
Now, there is an interesting dynamic happening here today. Sure, people, especially Christians are put to death in creatively evil ways, but let’s look at this from an additional perspective.
Watch this….
John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 4:14
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
What happens in too many areas throughout the world? People are given the death penalty for offering others the “bread of life” and the “water” of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 11:32-40
32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned[f]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
It began with Stephen, saints dying for Jesus: stretched on the rack, boiled in oil, cast in among serpents, thrown to lions. Four to twenty million killed by the Roman Empire, and thirty million since: skinned alive, burned at the stake, babies dashed against walls, pregnant women ripped open. Millions murdered by Nazis, a million Sudanese butchered by Muslims & many by crucifixion. In Cambodia, a million more, and Christians in Nigeria, Somalia, in Israel by Palestinians, in China, North Korea, in India 30 churches and institutions destroyed, many people shot and injured in gunfire from Sangh mobs…and on Christmas Day too!
GCIC- Global Council of Indian Christians (http://www.persecution.in/) persecution.in/orissa_christians_persecution_pictures
So, it can be easily said that today’s world is in many ways comparable or at least progressively forming (ripening) to the conditions of Sodom and Gomorrah, but more on a global scale.
So what happened with Sodom and Gomorrah? The same thing that happened to the earth in Noah’s day. The sins became so great, and the corruption of mankind was so strong and vile that God decided to get rid of the “breeding grounds” of such vile and destructive behavior. In simple terms, he destroyed evil by destroying man.
Some people might look at that and think that what God did was mean and cruel. No, way. He gave them a chance to change, and they refused to do so. So God did the only logical thing he could do. Get rid of the “infection,” before it had a chance to infect the rest of the world.
The Coming Events:
So, if the conditions of Sodom and Gomorrah are advancing today, then why hasn’t God destroyed this world? Because God is not going to destroy it this time. God will allow man to do what man desires, and man’s actions will lead to the inevitability of the world’s destruction. This will lead to many of the horrors described in the book of Revelation. You see man’s heart is by nature evil. Man’s heart is in opposition with God. That is why there were so many people who wanted Christ crucified. He did nothing wrong, nor did He commit any crimes. He simply showed people the nature of their hearts and they didn’t like what they saw. That was probably the main drive that helped send Him to the cross. But anyway, without God, the human heart does what it wants, and the way we humans work is that sometimes other people step on our toes, and many times people are out to destroy us so that they can further advance their own interests. The human heart is selfish, proud, angry, bitter, and hostile towards God and that is why. This is why wars are formed. That is why there could never be peace with the way we are. There will always be someone to rob us of our peace because they desire to have absolute control over the world. One wants what the other has, and tries to aim for it. This is human nature. The world is being led by the instincts of human nature, and it is therefore leading to our destruction. So why haven’t we been destroyed yet?
Because there is something holding the full effects of this back. What is holding the full effects of these things happening back? Christians. Why Christians? Because, as Christians we possess the Holy Spirit who works within us and mobilizes us to get engaged and then get involved to hold back as best we can these radical and destructive elements. You see it when we get involved in politics. You see it when we protest. You see it all over.
The Advancer and the Restrainer
The Antichrist
Galatians 5:19-23
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
--Human nature, especially Godless human nature has a fierce lust for control. This world, in their eyes, belongs to them, and like a spoiled child, they are holding on tightly to their “bottle.” This “bottle” is their power. They will stop at nothing to obtain it, and stop at nothing to maintain and secure it. Where you find selfishness, you find everything wrong and chaotic, and in that, when you speak to someone who is selfish and controlling, how do they respond when it comes to things relating to Jesus Christ? They show either deep hostility, or they simply display a cold reaction, or reception to Him and all that relates to Him. They also never consider acknowledging God in their decision making. Did the people of Sodom and Gomorrah acknowledge God in their decision-making? No! They did what they wanted to do, whenever they wanted to do it, and felt nothing when they hurt other people.
And these attitudes were enforced by the leaders of their empire. Similarly today, these attitudes are held by many leaders in many governments, and they are growing.
Say Hello to the Spirit of Antichrist:
1 John 4:2-3
3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
God is not going to forever sit idly by. Sure, he is going to allow what is going on, but he will allow it for so long. When he finally takes action, He is going to do something radical that he has never done, and it involves those who have accepted Christ as their savior.
I Corinthians 15:51-52 –Addresses the Mystery that is the Rapture.
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
I Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
God is going to raise those who have accepted Christ as their savior up to his Kingdom. The worse things get here on earth, the more it will naturally by selfish human nature become like Sodom and Gomorrah. And with all of the Christians gone, taken out of the way, the Sodom and Gomorrah aspects will develop far more rapidly, as there will be little to no political resistance to restrain these things. Without the restrainer, the harshest conditions will virtually occur overnight.
Luke 17:26-29
26"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
How was it in Noah’s Day? Go to Genesis 6:11
Genesis 6:11
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.
Back to Luke;
27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
In other words, people were going about their business as usual. They were going about their lives without so much as a mere acknowledgment to the warnings that were available to them. They simply just went about their lively routines, and didn’t take God seriously. They laughed, and treated those warnings as if they were make-believe stories.
28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
Their ignoring the warnings of what was coming served a purpose, but the only time they paid attention to what was coming was when it was too late, and there was no further chance to escape. God gave them a chance before the punishment occurred, but they chose (out of their own free will) not to listen.
Two very interesting dynamics appear regarding both the days of Noah and Lott.
1. People were progressing to the point where they were viciously wicked.
2. God spared ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS from destruction.
In Noah’s day, God spared Noah and anybody who acknowledged God and lived righteously. In Lot’s day, God spared Lot and those in his family who were both receptive in listening to Him and as a result, was then obedient.
In Genesis 18:20-21, God tells Abraham of his plans to Judge Sodom and Gomorrah.
20Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
Then Abraham asks God an excellent question.
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
So this back and forth between God and Abraham occurs, but with the numbers of righteous gradually decreasing.
Abraham asks, that if for the sake of 50, 45, 40, 20, and then finally…10, righteous people, will God hold back his destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 18:32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
But, we know how it all went. There was none righteous, and God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Today the archaeological remains of that city serve not only as a testimonial relic of God’s anger towards wickedness, but also serve as a lesson as to what can happen when God is pushed beyond extreme limits.
Today throughout the world, there are millions and millions of Christians armed with the message of Jesus Christ, and through Christ, offer the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just as Titus 2:11-14 says…
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
During the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, there were so few righteous people that God told those few to get out of the city so that he could destroy the city. At this very moment, it is next to impossible for the millions of Christians who live in today’s political climate to be able to physically escape such conditions. These conditions are everywhere, as are Christians, and they will only advance further and further. So, like the days of Noah and Lot, God will save us who have accepted his Son as our Savior from the harsh conditions that are to come on earth the way he can do best… snatch us away, bodily, to Heaven to be with the Lord so that we will be able to escape the earth. After all, for the sake of however billions of Christians who are currently on the earth, God will spare the destruction of this world until his patience runs out, and the doors to his mercy expires. This is the promise.
This is the event we Christians call the rapture, which means “a rapid movement,” and this is a promise which will serve two functions.
1. It promises to reunite us believers with our savior, Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:10—Why God will take Christians away from the hell that is to come.
10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
2. It leaves a Godless earth to her own devices, allowing it exactly what it asks for, and no Christian, when this occurs, will be bodily present here on earth to prevent the consequences of these godless, selfish, and evil people from arising to the fullest extents possible. In addition to all of these unrestrained consequences, God will send the earth a powerful delusion to test those who remain on the earth.
II Thessalonians 2:7-12
7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
In the verse I just stated, God explains to Paul details for this coming delusion. This verse is in many ways comparable, to the explanation God gave Isaiah 750 some years earlier.
Isaiah 66:4-6
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me."
5 Hear the word of the LORD,
you who tremble at his word:
"Your brothers who hate you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
'Let the LORD be glorified,
that we may see your joy!'
Yet they will be put to shame.
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the LORD
repaying his enemies all they deserve.
This event will also rid us Christians of our own corruptibility, which right now still remains because of our selfish and sinful human nature. We will then be whole because our Spirit will have no more conflict with our fallible human nature.
Philippians 3:20-21
20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
So, can you see and understand a little bit more to a certain extent as to why this event called the rapture is necessary?
Can you understand how the more gruesome events foretold in Revelation can come to pass, especially without the force which holds the more vicious sorts of stuff back?
Think about it…. The corrupt governments which reside in this world are led by the same types of people advocating the very things that the prophetic books of Daniel, Revelation, etc. warns about. They do so naturally out of their own hearts and don’t even realize it, much less even consider so much as a hint of a thought that they are doing it. People don’t judge themselves by God’s eyes, or God’s standards. They think they are good, and whatever is good to them is whatever serves their own interests. Good is a relative word that can be tossed around, but in God’s eyes, these people who think they are so good contain within them so much wickedness, blindness, and ignorance, thinking that they are righteous, clear-thinking, and intelligent. They are prideful, and hold God, the Bible, and Christians to ridicule. But one thing never, ever fails, and I see this every single day of my life. Those people by their own nature do exactly to the world what the Bible says they will do without the presence of God in their daily lives. That is another reason why we can be 100% sure that all of the more radical end-time moments foretold in the Bible can materialize. When you remove the Christians from the world equation, those radical end-time moments foretold in the Bible don’t seem so radical anymore. They become more logical as the lawlessness within human nature seems to push the law further and further until there is no law left at all.
At the moment of this writing, these predictions may be called into question by some, yet when the time comes, they will hold significant dominance in people’s minds until what we know today as the future inevitably becomes the current moment.
For us Christians, the very idea of the promise of the rapture currently serves as being our….
--Blessed hope.
--Moment where we will be reunited with Christ.
--Moment of escape from the more radical elements which, because of injustice and corruption.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
God will always deliver on his promises. Since he is a God of truth, no matter how radical, or how unrealistic they may seem to our currently limited intellect, one thing is for absolute certain; he will deliver on his promises (as he has already done so in the past), so the wisest thing for one to do is accept and expect. Accept Christ as your savior, and expect his promises to be fulfilled. Otherwise there is no hope left, but in those already higher than you who look out for their own self-interests… at your expense. So really, other than Christ, there is no hope left at all.