Scripture: Psalm 8 v 4; Revelation 22 v 17-21;
Deuteronomy 7; 1 Thessalonians 4 v 13-18.
One thing that stood out to me personally through knowing
how everything began and why we are on Earth was God's abundant love for us.
Why did He care so much? How could He love us as much as He loved Israel or
Jesus? It is because we ARE either part of one or the other! Our Father, our
true Father, has done so much to save us out of the evil clutches of Satan and
still there are those who prefer to follow the ways of the world and who may be
lost forever.
When we take Communion remember Jesus saying at the Last
Supper - this is My body broken for you eat this in remembrance of me. Jesus'
body was not broken on the Cross but it was shattered into small fragments in
satan's realm - Revelations 13 v 8 - the Lamb who was slain from the
foundations of the world.
Israel was the Bride God chose and throughout the Old
Testament she is punished for disobedience and unfaithfulness. She has the Law
on her back from Genesis to Malachi. There is an amazing revelation in Romans 7
v 2 about a woman guilty of adultery as long as her husband is alive, but free
of that guilt when her husband dies. Israel was freed from condemnation of
being an adulteress when Jesus died in Satan's realm and which He made very
plain in Jerusalem when He died on the Cross,
crying out It is Finished just before He died. The Law separating Him
from His precious Bride was over.
God collected all the pieces and put them in one place,
the land of Israel. When they turned aside they were taken hostage into strange
lands and became slaves. When they were willing to serve God they were returned
to their land. Sometimes they were oppressed in their own land. When they cried
out to God they were sent The Saviour whom they caused to be killed.
They made a terrible curse over themselves when the crowd
declared "His Blood be upon us and upon our children" - Matthew 27v25
- after Pilate had washed his hands of the decision to crucify Jesus. There is
power and life in the Blood of Jesus Christ; there is also the curse of death
when God will look away as He did in Egypt at the time of the Passover, causing
the Egyptians to lose their firstborn sons. Pharoah was a type of Antichrist
and God's judgment for the death of His Son was a life for a life.
God looked away from Israel twice since that rejection of
Jesus. In AD70 when the Temple was destroyed by Titus and the Jews scattered;
and more recently in the Holocaust.
But God still loves Israel and has an everlasting
Covenant with Her. He promised to forgive her and bring her back to her own
land. Straight after the horrors of the death camps the way was opened by a
resolution of the United Nations to restore Israel to their own land.
Nevertheless God judged the nations who oppressed Israel, and will continue to
do so.
Of course the error of Sarah and Abraham (see Determining
God's Will) has haunted them ever since they returned to Eretz Israel, the
Promised Land. The continual Arab war that keeps her on edge.
Israel will make one more error. She will sign a 7 year
peace treaty with all the Arab nations, under the hooded eyes of the
Antichrist. Half way through the term of this treaty, the Antichrist will
declare himself god in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. The eyes of Israel will
be open to the truth. (Read "Jesus' Bride" and "The Jigsaw
Puzzles".) Long after the Rapture of the Church, which occurs just before the Antichrist
declares himself god, ie mid way through the 7 years of the End Times, the Holy
Spirit and the Bride say Come Lord Jesus! Revelations 22 v 17-21.
The first half of the 7 years is called "The
Beginning of Sorrows" which is when the tribulations begin. Prior to these
events are "the Birthpangs" which is happening now - things are
starting to unravel financially, politically, health-wise, spiritually - there
is much instability. The only safe haven now and in the years ahead is in the
Body of Christ, for Jew and Gentile, as Jesus said He would never leave us. He
has a real personal interest in keeping His Body and His Bride safe.
The second half of the 7 years, after the Rapture of the Church,
is the Great Tribulation a time of devastation never seen before on Earth. The
Antichrist will change from a man of peace to the worst dictator ever known.
Nimrod, Nero, Hannibal, Stalin, Hitler, Gaddafi, Arafat, Assad rolled into one
evil man. His single aim is to kill the Bride and everyone who dares to believe
in Jesus after the Rapture. The Inquisition, the guillotine, the torments will
be beyond belief. You do not want to be on this planet at that time.
There will be out of control weather like every week a
major earthquake and tsunami, huge volcanic eruptions, terrible superstorms,
ice storms, tornados, floods, snowstorms of unimaginable proportions. Food will
be in short supply, fresh water will be scarce, pollution will be hazardous.
Lawlessness, anarchy, marauding hordes of crazed people
raping, murdering, looting and burning as they go. As it was in the days of
Noah and Lot so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. The days of Noah were so
bad God had to flood the whole Earth to get rid of them. Make sure you are
Raptured when the time comes!!
During the first half of the 7 years there will be an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh to give every one the opportunity to
get "into the Ark" of the Church. This is the great world revival which
will have souls weeping with repentance as they come back to Jesus.
What is Man? Every soul is precious to God our Father and
to Jesus. He loves His Body as Himself because it is Himself. He loves His
Bride who was part of Him and stolen from Him. He paid the Ransom because He
was the Ransom (Read "The Ransom"). He laid down His life for her. He
says he will restore her to be a chaste virgin again and every memory of her
capture will be erased.
There will be a new Earth and a New Heaven where will live
in peace, love and joy forever. Enjoying our family and our Father forever.
Prayer: Heavenly Father confirm Your Word and Vision to
those who read it. Give them understanding of this amazing love story to win
back a stolen Bride. Only You could have done all this to restore us back to
Your original creation. You are worthy O Lord God to receive worship and honour
and praise. In Jesus' name. Amen.