Upside Down
If you’re thinking everything in this world seems upside down, you’d be right. Our freedoms are slipping away quickly. Let’s face the truth. Control is the end game. Who is responsible for this? The answer is Satan and those who follow him. Isaiah 5:20 (AMP) Woe (judgment is coming) to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
What Is the Agenda?
The world is headed to a totalitarian New World Order. Most of us didn’t see it coming. Why not? This is because normalization happens so slowly and subtly. Subliminal messages make us think we want what is suggested to us. A good analogy would be frogs cooking in a pot. As long as the temperature doesn’t rise too quickly, the frogs won’t jump out. Over time we frogs in the pot get so comfortable we want to reach over the side and turn up the heat ourselves! So, what should we do? Jump out of the pot! We must think for ourselves, stay informed, and be vigilant. Deception is everywhere. Do not be deceived!
How Did We Get Here?
In the beginning, Adam & Eve were on the straight and narrow path walking closely with God. Then Satan entered the picture and enticed them to want what he wants – to be like God. Adam & Eve sinned by eating fruit from “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” – forbidden by God. Suddenly, sin entered the world and Adam & Eve were walking a degree off from God.
Throughout the ages, you can see how the world (under Satan’s control) has drawn us away from God. Staying on that trajectory has only increased our distance from God, just like a ship going off course. Talking to God and hearing His Word (The Bible scriptures) can draw us back to God and keep us close to Him.
What does the Bible say?
We are living in The End Times awaiting The Rapture of the Church. The body of believers is called The Bride of Christ or the Church. At The Rapture, Jesus Christ will meet believers in the air and take us to heaven. The first to rise will be resurrected believers – those who died knowing and believing Jesus, from the time of Pentecost (50 days after Christ’s resurrection) to The Rapture. Next, living believers will rise and meet Jesus in the air. From that point on, The Bride of Christ will always be with Jesus, The Bridegroom. The Rapture was a mystery Jesus later revealed to the apostle Paul. According to scripture, The Rapture could happen at any time now that Israel is back in its land.
The Rapture is not to be confused with Jesus’ Second Coming. These are two separate events. His Second Coming will happen after the Tribulation when Jesus comes back with His bride, the Church, and with His angels. At that time, Jesus will come and pour out His wrath on unbelievers and those who have waged war against Israel. Then Jesus will set up His Kingdom on earth.
At Jesus’ First Coming, He proved He is the Son of God with signs and wonders – healings and miracles. Jesus also spoke of His return and Kingdom on earth which would follow a great tribulation. He came first to His own people, the Jews, but they rejected Him. Jesus then turned to the gentiles. This created the Church Age of mainly gentile believers.
Jesus came as the Suffering Servant Savior. As Servant, Jesus lowered Himself to the condition of humanity and humility. As Savior, He came into this world personally for you and for me to pay our sin debt in full on the cross. We need only to realize we are sinners in need of a Savior. We must recognize Jesus as the Promised Messiah, the Son of God. Then we must claim our salvation with faith in Jesus and what He accomplished for us through His suffering, death, burial and resurrection. Jesus dealt with the world’s sin once and for all. He has forgiven us for our sins, cast them far away, and has chosen to remember them no more. Salvation can only become effectual once we claim Jesus as our personal Savior with faith. At Jesus’ Second Coming, He will be the victorious King reigning in His Kingdom on earth.
If the sinless Son of God had never resurrected, His death would have been pointless. He is the first fruits of the resurrected, the one true Living God. Believers who have fallen asleep (died) during the Church Age, along with living believers, will be the next resurrected saints at the Rapture. These believers will receive new glorified bodies and live forever – just like Jesus.
The Tribulation will occur after the Rapture. This 7 year period consists of the first 3 ½ years called “The Tribulation” and the last terrifying 3 ½ years called “The Great Tribulation.” During this time, God condemns the wicked and pours out His wrath on them. Remember – if you are a believer, you will be in heaven during this time. How do we know this? Romans 8:1 (ESV) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For more understanding, visit The End Times Timeline & Explanation.
Let’s take a look at Bible prophecy in the Book of Revelation.
Revelation, Chapter 13 (NIV)
The Beast out of the Sea
1 The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
Who Are the Two Beasts and the Dragon?
The Beast out of the Sea is the Antichrist. He is a man (political leader) who comes out of the tumultuous sea of humanity, from the nations of the world. He will be a ruler over the restored Roman Empire and will most likely come out of Europe. The Antichrist will confirm a peace agreement with many at the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation. The Jews will be allowed to sacrifice in the Temple during this time. Then 3 ½ years into the Tribulation, the Antichrist will break this peace agreement with an “abomination of desolation” in the Temple.
Daniel 9:27 (NIV) He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
The Dragon is Satan who gives the Antichrist his power, his seat (throne) and great authority.
The Beast out of the Earth is the False Prophet. He is a man (religious leader) who comes from the orderly, civilized earth. The False Prophet exercises the power of the Antichrist and causes those on earth to worship the Antichrist. He also causes the people to make an image of the Antichrist whose deadly wound was healed. (This is a fake resurrection as only God has the power to raise someone from the dead.) The False Prophet is given power to cause the image of the Antichrist to speak. Could this “image” be in the form of an artificial intelligence robot? The abomination of desolation could likely occur when this speaking image of the Antichrist is placed in the Temple. The False Prophet causes those who will not worship Antichrist’s image to be killed.
The Mark of the Beast
The False Prophet causes all people to receive a mark, The Mark of the Beast, on their right hand or on their forehead. Submission and slavery are the goal. Without this mark (the name of the beast or number of his name), no one will be able to buy or sell. In other words, people will starve to death. This number is the number of man, 666. Those who take the mark of the beast are choosing Satan and eternal torment in hell. Do not be deceived!
As bad as this will be, starvation is not the worst that can happen to a person. Death for a Christian believer is a trip to heaven and eternal life with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As Paul says in Philippians 1:21 (AMP) For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].
The Deceivers
From Revelation 13, you now know the unholy trinity – Satan, Antichrist, and False Prophet. The False Prophet is also an antichrist. Throughout the ages there have been and continue to be many false prophets and antichrists. Anyone who is against Christ, imitates Christ, or denies the deity of Christ is an antichrist. During the Tribulation, The Antichrist and The False Prophet will be revealed and enabled with Satan’s power.
We know Satan used the serpent to deceive Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. He also uses people. Some may be totally aligned with him while others just follow the crowd. These “sheeple” get wrapped up in Satan’s plan unknowingly. Satan’s goal has always been to be like God. Satan mimics God.
We know Jesus Christ will come soon and set up His Kingdom on earth and reign from Jerusalem. So, Satan’s plan is to set up his kingdom on earth with the Antichrist ruling from Jerusalem. But, in Satan’s kingdom there will be no free will. Satan will be in total control of everything. And a pared down population will be forced to worship, serve and obey him or face death. He will accomplish this with the help of the Antichrist and False Prophet. Once again, do not be deceived!
Why Would God Allow This to Happen?
God is a loving God – He is love. But He did not create us as robots and force us to worship Him. God has allowed Satan to be loose throughout the ages. Satan is the great deceiver, and unfortunately he has enticed many to follow him. God gave mankind free will to choose either His Son, Jesus (the promised Messiah) or “the world” (Satan).
Satan has tried his best to thwart God’s plans, but each prophecy (or promise) in the Bible has been fulfilled or will be fulfilled. We know this to be true because the Book of Revelation tells us our holy triune living God (Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit) wins in the end. And Jesus, the King, sets up His Kingdom on earth. We also know that the unholy trinity – Satan, Antichrist and False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
The Restrainer of Evil
Once a person knows and believes in Jesus, God sends His Holy Spirit to live in that believer and guide them. The Holy Spirit is also the restrainer of evil. Once the Rapture happens, all believers (and The Holy Spirit within them) will be removed from the earth. The restrainer of evil will no longer hold evil at bay, and all hell will break loose on earth during the Tribulation – especially the last 3 ½ years of this 7 period.
Be informed – Know the truth
What you have seen and read here is indeed disturbing. The purpose of this article is not to leave you frozen in fear. It is rather, information so you will be aware of the enemy and his plans. Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Satan knows his time here on earth is short lived, and he has ramped up his efforts to steal, kill, and destroy those God loves – us!
God knows the end from the beginning. He has shared the events that are yet to come in the Book of Revelation so we will not be deceived. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:24 (AMP) For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). So be on guard and do not be deceived!
Jesus is Victorious!
The Book of Revelation tells us Jesus, at His Second Coming near the end of The Tribulation, sets all things right on this earth. At The Battle of Armageddon, Jesus is victorious over the forces of evil, and He accomplishes this with the word of His mouth. Revelation 19:15 (NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Do not fear – Find peace in Jesus
The only place you will find peace is in Jesus. John 16:33 (NKJV) These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. As you can see, God is ultimately in control and has provided us with everything we need. Do not fear!
If you do not know Jesus, make it a point to know Him today. Understanding we are all sinners in need of a savior is the first step. That Savior is God’s Son, Jesus the Promised Messiah. Find out how sin impacts our lives by visiting SIN – Who Cares?
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Bible Versions: AMP (Amplified Bible), ESV (English Standard Version), KJV (King James Version), MSG (The Message), NOG (Names of God Bible), NCV (New Century Version), NET (New English Translation), NIV (New International Version), NKJV (New King James Version), NLV (New Life Version), NLT (New Living Translation), RGT (Revised Geneva Translation), RSV (Revised Standard Version), TLB (Living Bible), TLV (Tree of Life Version), YLT (Young's Literal Translation)
