The History of The Next 25 Years

​

The year 2020 has been unprecedented in it's impact on the world.  Many are beginning to see God is moving toward His judgment of the end of this age.  But God moves in steps.  When He starts bringing about the curses of the covenant, He does it in steps.  Between each He gives a space for repentance.  If none is there the next level is seven times greater.  [Leviticus 26:18] "And if you will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins."  Are you ready for a seven fold increase in calamities? 

​

The prophecies of God's Word indicate that only about 10% of the population of the world will survive the events of the end time.  The current world population is just over seven billion people.  That means that within the 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation and the Trumpet plagues of the Day of the Lord more than six billion people will perish!  That is almost unimaginable to the human mind!  However, if one views the recent newscasts that have come out of Syria with the death, destruction and human suffering coming out of that one country alone, and add in the factors that will be extant during the Great Tribulation as described in the prophecies of God's Word: disease epidemics, famine and starvation, war, displacement and oppression of people on a global scale; these things become comprehendible though no less horrific!  Consider that as of April 11, 2020 approximately 110 thousand deaths had occurred from the covid 19 Pandemic and yet what global effect that has had!  During the Great Tribulation and the day of the Lord the daily average death toll for the 1260 days will be over 4 1/2 million!  

​

Jesus Christ stated of this time, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."  [Matthew 24:21-22]

 

How can one prepare for survival?  Is there any way?  Can a person hide in some far corner of the planet?  Perhaps storing away enough food and supplies along with guns and ammunition in a deep hardened bunker.  Maybe the wealthy can secure safety through their wealth and buy their safety by gold or silver?  Perhaps one could defect to the winning team, comply with the Beast power and wait it out?  Perhaps even survive on a space station in orbit?  Are there any viable strategies for survival?  This chapter will examine what God's Word says about survival.

 

First we will consider what God's Word has to say about the typical survival strategies of men as listed above.

 

[Amos 9: 2]  "Though they dig into hell, from there shall my hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, from there will I bring them down:  3.  And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel (a mountain in Israel), I will search and take them out from there; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, from there I will command the serpent, and he shall bite them:"

 

[Ezekiel 7: 19]  "They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed (taken by those that strip the wealth) their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord:"

​

[Zephaniah 1:18] "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath;"

 

[Ezekiel 7: 15]  "The sword is without, and the pestilence and famine within: he that is in the field shall die by the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence will devour him."

 

Mankind generally doesn't think of God as Sovereign who should be obeyed.  Mankind forms its own governments and laws, determines for itself morality, right or wrong, and seeks peace on its own terms. Mankind imagines itself as supreme authority and has written the result of that in blood, anguish and oppression for the approximate 6,000 years of its history.  The terrible events of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord will be the culmination of the effects of mankind's utter failure to produce a way of peace and equitable justice.  God's Word says of man; [Isaiah 59: 8]  "The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgement in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace."  And again in [Romans 3: 17]  "The way of peace they have not known."

​

But God's Word speaks of a 'covenant' or international 'Peace' agreement as the last empire of this world is established.  That time is described in [Jeremiah 6:14] "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."  We may now be entering this time.  For more information see Chapter 9: The Rise and Nature of the Seventh Emperor .

 

But what is God's perspective? 

[Isaiah 55: 6]  "Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near:  7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.  9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

​

From the creation of mankind there have been before man two choices: (1) Acknowledge the Creator as sovereign; trust that He, as God, knows the way of life that produces peace, happiness and fulfilling lives; acknowledge that He is the one Lawgiver, who gives instruction in man's relationship to Him as well as man's relationship to neighbor; and the choice to believe and follow His instruction and reap the blessings it brings; or (2) Take upon himself the decision to determine what is right in one's own eyes and reap the consequence of that.   Mankind has followed the later and history has shown that mankind does not know how to govern itself.

​

God says in [Deuteronomy 30:19-20] "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live: 20. That you may love the LORD your God, and that you may obey his voice, and that you may cleave unto him: for he is your life, and the length of your days:" 

​

God is Sovereign!  He is bringing about His purpose for mankind.  Escape, survival, or protection will only be by His will and purpose.  He is Almighty, and none can thwart or circumvent His purpose.

​

[Isaiah 40: 15]  "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takes up the isles as a very small thing."

 

This chapter will compare the thoughts and ways of man with God's Word and His ways.  We will get a glimpse of The Big Picture.

 

The instinct for survival is strong within man.  Man tends to think that surely there is some method to ensure his own life.  Yet Jesus Christ says in [Luke 9: 24] "For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake the same shall save it."  What does that mean?  Let's look at God's Word.  Does God give any assurances for protection?  And how does one come under such promises?

 

God's Word does describe protection from this time of Great Tribulation to one very particular group of people.  In fact they are the only people on the face of the earth that are given promises and assurance for protection other than a handful of special servants (the two witnesses and the end time Elijah) that God uses for specific purposes during these events.  It will be vital for anyone who seeks protection by God from the Tribulation to be a member of this specific group of people!  But God's entire purpose for allowing the Tribulation to happen in the first place is to produce repentance and a turning back to Him.  He also gives prophecy of relief and help to those who turn to Him even during the Tribulation.

​

Let's examine God's Word to see what is promised and to whom. 

​

The Place of Safety

​

In Chapter 6 of this book, The Church and the Great Adversary, the prophecies of the history of the Church and the persecutions of Satan, the Great Adversary, given in [Revelation 12: 1-13] were explained.  It is now time to go forward in this chapter and understand what God says of a place provided for the safety and nourishment of the Church (the woman of the prophecy).  It may be helpful for the reader to do a quick review of Chapter 6.

​

[Revelation 12: 13-16] "vs. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child."  The events described in verse 13 were discussed in Chapter 8 under the heading: The Timeline of The End Time.  The following is that discussion:

​

'Another marker on the timeline in this sequence is 1335 days to the seventh trumpet.  See [Daniel 12:12]  We are not specifically given the event which occurs at this time.  Somewhere about this time the conclusion of events given in [Revelation 12: 7-12] occurs which are the war in heaven and Satan being cast out.  [verse 12] "Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them.  Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knows he has but a short time."  We know this event has not yet occurred because evil conditions will exponentially increase immediately at this event.  We also are told that Satan will immediately begin severe persecution against God's true church [verse 13]; which is quickly followed by the Church being taken to a place of Safety [verse 14].  These things occur immediately before the Great Tribulation.  Because Satan being cast to the earth is such an exponentially catalyst event and the timing in the sequence is right, it is suspected that this is the event at the 1335 day marker.  As soon as Satan is cast out of heaven, religious control will become the power behind this king.  This religious control is the First Seal of the Framework.'

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

​

Fig. 1  Basic Timeline of End-time Events

​

vs. 14 "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."  NOTICE!  Here we see a specific prophecy of "the woman" which is God's true Church, being given the means to flee to "her place" where she is protected and nourished away from the face of the serpent.  The Church will be in this place for 3 1/2 years, (a time in prophecy equals a year, times equal two years, and a half time equals a half year) which is the same amount of time as the Great Tribulation + the Day of the Lord (see chart above).   

vs. 15. "And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  16. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth".

​

It should be noted that these events take place on the earth.  The Place of Safety is described as being "in the wilderness".  This is not a 'Rapture' to heaven, and in fact no such 'Rapture' is taught in God's Word occurring before the Great Tribulation.  The resurrections of those saints who are in the first resurrection is shown in scripture to occur at the seventh trumpet blast: [Rev. 11:15-18] at the return of Christ, which is after the Great Tribulation and at the end of the Day of the Lord.  [I Thessalonians 4:15-17] tells us,  "15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep.  16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."   All these events take place at the sounding of the seventh trumpet.  [I Corinthians 15:52] "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

​

It may be surprising for some to know that God does not intend for all, even in His Church, to survive the Great Tribulation. 

​

[Rev. 12:17] “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  Notice how these are described!  Why does God not protect them also?  In fact, [Rev. 13:7] expressly says of the Beast, “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: …”   

 

Why would God allow His saints to be overcome in war?  Notice that some of the saints are taken to a place of safety and protected during the Great Tribulation and the remnant of her seed suffer war instigated and inspired by Satan.

​

The Histories of two 'Women'

 

The Book of Revelation was given by God to “show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.”  [Rev. 1:1].  God has given the Truth to His True Church.  It is the only entity that possesses the true understanding.  Jesus Christ himself, in His prayer during the final Passover before His sacrifice, asks of the Father, “Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth.”  [John 17:17]  (The word ‘sanctify’ means to set apart).  The author recommends "Where is God's True Church Today?" for more information.

 

But the Book of Revelation prophesies the histories of two entirely different churches (Both are referred to as a woman.  The Bible uses ‘woman’ prophetically as a Church):

​

1.   His true Church described as: His bride; the Firstfruits; in the first resurrection; and the saints who will reign with Him on the Earth in the Millennium.

​

2.   The Great Whore Church who reigns over the kingdoms of men described in [Rev. 17].   Verse 6 specifically says, “6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” Also in [Revelation 18:24] it is said of this church, "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."  This Great False Church has worked in opposition to, and persecuted and martyred the True Church of God through its history.  This is the church which will, in partnership with the Beast, make war with the saints during the Great Tribulation.

​

Both of these Churches are prophesied to go through seven eras through their histories, until the return of Christ.  The True Church [Revelation chapters 2-3];  The great whore church [Revelation chapters 17-18]   Both are at the time of their seventh era. 

​

But, again, why does God promise to protect some of His True Church and not others?

 

The Last Two Eras of The True Church

​

The Eras of the True Church are prophesied in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3.  It is the instructions to the sixth and seventh eras of the True Church that reveal why God provides protection for some from the Great Tribulation and others are left to suffer martyrdom during it.  Let's examine the scriptures.  The sixth, or Philadelphia era of God's true Church is addressed in [Rev. 3:7-12].  Verse 10 gives a promise from God to protect this era 'from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world'. 

 

[Revelation 3:7]  "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens; 8. I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.  9. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  10. Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  11. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man takes your crown.  12. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."

​

The 'word of my patience' that the Philadelphia Era keeps is the work of the commission that Jesus Christ gave to His Church; [Mark 16:15-] "And he said unto them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."  The open door means the open media that God has provided in this era such as radio, tv, and the internet.  This era is zealous to do His work, so God protects them from the tribulation.

​

The seventh and final era of God’s true Church, Laodicea, is addressed in [Revelation 3:14-21]          “14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  15. I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot.  16. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.  17. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  18. I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye-salve, that you may see.  19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.  20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  21. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

​

This final era of the true church at the end time is not zealous for God's work.  They consider themselves spiritually rich and without further need for growing in knowledge and truth. God, on the other hand sees that they are in need of repentance and prescribes that they go buy real gold tried in the fire, or in other words, real character forged in the tribulation.  You should notice also that God says that He loves them.  He desires their repentance and overcoming. 

​

It is interesting that Christ pictures Himself outside of the door and knocking to come in to this church era!  This era is operating outside of the leadership of Christ.  He does offer to come in to any who answer His knocking.  And yet this is still God's True Church!  He isn't finished with them yet.  The reward promised to those who do overcome is greater than that of any other era, "21. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

 

God has a very necessary job for the Laodiceans.  They will go into the Great Tribulation and will suffer martyrdom during it.  By the end of their life, those who do overcome will have developed the Character and Nature of God that will prepare them for that great office in God's Kingdom.  They will also set a very necessary example to others around them suffering the Great Tribulation who will witness their willingness to die for their belief and then have the courage to seek God themselves.  The Laodiceans will serve as an example of faith for the 144,000 of Israel and the great multitude from other ethnic groups who will repent during the Great Tribulation.   [Revelation 7]

​

The martyrdom of the saints of Laodicea is described as occurring mainly at the time of the opening of the fifth seal during the great tribulation: [Revelation 6: 9-11] "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (Those of past martyrdoms)  10. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11. And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."

​

This exemplifies what Jesus Christ meant by His statement in [Luke 9: 24] "For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake the same shall save it."  Those in God's True Church know that the first resurrection will occur very soon after these events and whether they are protected in the place of safety from the great tribulation or suffer martyrdom during it, if they overcome, at the seventh trumpet and Christ's return they will be raised immortal members of God's family. 

​

Certainly, one would hope to be protected from the tribulation. Christ admonishes the church in [Luke 21:36] " Watch therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."  And God in His mercy, promises that protection to those who are fervently seeking Him and doing His work and growing in His Divine nature now, but God's priority is not on saving the flesh but on the development of  personal character necessary to be born into His very family.  As He says to Laodicea, [Revelation 3:19]  "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

​

God's true church is the advance calling of those who He calls 'Firstfruits' of His kingdom.  In [Revelation 14: 1-5] God inspires that the 'Firstfruits' of those redeemed from among men number 144,000.   And that is from the entire history of mankind!  What about the rest of the world?

​

The Rest of the World

​

[Isaiah 40:3-8]  "The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:  5. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.  6. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? 'All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:  7. The grass withers, the flower fades: because the spirit of the LORD blows upon it: surely the people is grass.  8. The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.'"

​

This prophecy is for the time of preparation for the coming of Christ.  Notice the dialog here.  There is an individual who cries out to prepare the way for the Lord, and there is instruction to this individual what that 'cry' entails:  "All flesh is grass . . ."  There is a bit more to the instructions God gives but for now we will look at this part.  

​

John the Baptist, who Jesus confirmed as a initial fulfillment of the coming of Elijah, recognized that his ministry was a fulfillment of this prophecy of Isaiah: [John 1:22-23]  "Then said they unto him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What do you say of yourself?  23. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias."  So this instruction applies to the Elijah message that proceeds Christ's second coming also.

​

What does God want conveyed by this 'cry' that "All flesh is grass..."?  God created mankind a physical creature, subject to aging, and death.  Even atheist scientists will grant that truth.  But God's ultimate purpose for creating mankind is with the potential to complete that creation by being born into His very family as eternal sons and daughters with bodies composed of spirit and possessing  His very nature.

​

How hard, or how much time does it take God to create or change our bodies into eternal, incorruptible, spirit bodies?  [I Corinthians 15:51-53]  "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."  

 

So, we must ask, why did God make mankind physical and subject to death in the first place?  "What Happens When You Die?"  Why did He not just make us all spirit beings?  Why does God allow suffering?  Why has He allowed mankind to suffer and commit all the atrocities against each other throughout history?  Why has He not stepped in to stop them?  Why will He allow the Great Tribulation to occur at all, which is greater time of evil than any other?

​

No Other Way

​

God's focal purpose since “before the foundation of the world” has been to create mankind with the potential, through His process of conversion, to be born into His very family, and be eternal sons and daughters of God, over all things.  [Eph. 1: 4-5] "According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"

​

God's purpose is to have His eternal Divine family members possess His Divine nature and character.  That part of His creation can not be instantly created by fiat.  It must be developed through the free moral agency and choice of the individual.  That character is built through a process called repentance, conversion, and overcoming.   

 

Repentance, and seeking God are the key elements for any other group or individual to receive protection by God during the Great Tribulation.  Chapter 8 The Remnant of Israel; 144,000; and Elijah  of this work describes the repentance brought about during this period in those of the tribes of Israel and also the great multitude of all other ethnic groups that also repent and turn to God and the protection and help God gives to them. 

​

God prophesies of Israel for the latter days and tribulation, even before He brought them into the promised land in [Deuteronomy 4: 24-31]  "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.  25. When you shalt beget children, and children's children, and you shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD your God, to provoke him to anger:  26. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go over Jordan to possess it; you shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.  27. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and you shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.  28. And there you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.  29. But if from there you shall seek the LORD your God, you shall find him, if  you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.  30. When you are in tribulation, and all these things are come upon you, even in the latter days, if you turn to the LORD your God, and shall be obedient unto his voice;  31. (For the LORD your God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore unto them.