Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. 1. I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. 2. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. 3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. 4. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. 5. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. 6. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. 7. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
9. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. 14. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
From verses 14 through 19 we have two separate reaping’s identified with two doing the reaping, one looked to be the Son of Man or Jesus, this in my opinion is the rapture. With the other being a different angel gathering the grapes or whatever it is to be used for the wrath of GOD.
In the prior verses 9 through 11 we read and see the end result of those who worship the beast or antichrist and it isn’t a pretty picture. Verse 9 identifies their sin, “…If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,…”. These things are mentioned here in verse 9 as identifiers for GOD’S wrath:
1. Worshipping the beast or his image
2. Receiving the mark on or in their right hand or forehead
These people chose to turn away from the love of the Father as expressed through the Son Jesus the Christ, instead choosing a false Messiah.
In these verses we see almost the final separation of humanity into believer and unbelievers. Here we may well have an identifier for the potential timing of the so-called rapture, this among other examples are why I lean towards the prewrath interpretation of the rapture and dismiss the common dispensationalist view of a pretribulational eschatology.
Dorothy Thompson was an American reporter who judged Hitler as a person of “startling insignificance.” She realized later the mistake in the reporting of American journalists, stating “No people ever recognize their dictator in advance,” she reflected in 1935. “He never stands for election on the platform of dictatorship. He always represents himself as the instrument [of] the Incorporated National Will. When our dictator turns up you can depend on it that he will be one of the boys, and he will stand for everything traditionally American.”
Any correlation to Trumps MAGA cult of personality? Perhaps, we shouldn’t disregard historical comparisons when they’re in our face to see.
Although I agree with lots of what 47 is wanting to accomplish in regards to protecting the border, restoring jobs, reducing taxes and regulations, none of what he’s doing will stand the test of time when it’s done by Executive fiat through Executive Orders. These can be overturned with another administration coming to power. So either he knows this and is doing nothing about it or he is an idiot —>OR<— he is attempting to do as Dorthy Thompson wrote almost a hundred yrs ago, “… and he will stand for everything traditionally American...” and he will bring America into a full fascist state.
He rails against censorship yet he wants to punish those journalists and news organizations that report against his administrations narrative. Although I don’t agree nor read much from the “legacy” media nowadays because of their socialist-progressive bias they still are suppose have the freedom to print their trash. Why copy the sol-progs methods of censorship when you’re suppose to support free speech, unless you are “one of them”, what some call Fabian Socialists, they’re method is plainly put, “infiltrate and legislate”.
Could Trump be adhering to some of the concepts of Fabianism? I don’t know as I’m still researching the topics and sorting through relationships and relevant sources.
I do know that as Hayek wrote in 1944 in his “…The Road to Serfdom…” that government central planning does eventually lead to totalitarian systems of social control. In America this began under FDR and has continued nonstop since, though at various speeds as advocated by the Fabians.
My concern is that Trumps cult of personality will lead to a similar outcome.
Concerning Trump himself, I’ll leave this link and quote and leave his cult followers slobbering for a few minutes…
“Evidently, Trump may have been using the so-called birthers only as a means to an end.
His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is also a senior adviser to the president, allegedly told a former editor of the newspaper he once owned that the billionaire real-estate mogul didn’t believe his own “birtherism” claims, and only made them to charge up Republicans because they are “stupid,” GQ reported.
During a discussion on how to cover Trump, the former New York Observer editor, Elizabeth Spiers, claimed she told Kushner that she had serious problems with Trump’s repeated claims that Obama was not born in the U.S., to which Kushner allegedly told her: “He doesn’t really believe it, Elizabeth. He just knows Republicans are stupid and they’ll buy it.”
3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
The two witnesses described in the Revelations has been discussed at length for hundreds of years concerning who they are, from Enoch and Elijah to Moses and Elijah to John and Moses. I’ll wait till their ministry starts before I personally attempt at identifying them.
That said I do think a couple of verses need to be mentioned that are often overlooked or have little mention. One being verse 6, “….shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:….”. Here we read they have the power to shut down the rain, turning off the water that keeps the people fed. Personally I wonder if this will be regional or global in nature and affect. Aside from the other plagues which may very well mimic those of Egypt, a global and even large-scale regional droughts would have disastrous consequences.
During their 3 1/2 year ministry the earth will be suffering from the antichrist’s war against believers as well as the unsaved being plagued by the ministry of these two Godly men as they can strike cities or regions or even the world with plagues as often as they desire.
During this time in human history, the end of our age, mankind’s heart will still be in a state of rebellion against the Most High. With all the signs and wonders of this period people will refuse to acknowledge their own Creator. Yes some will repent, but the majority will choose to remain in their fallen state, loving self more than God, refusing to accept the one who loved them so much He gave His own Son to die for them.
The two witnesses will lead from Jerusalem, where they’ll also be killed and rise again the third day, just as our Savior Jesus did.
Pretribulational eschatology teaches believers will not see these two, but since I lean towards the prewrath position, I do believe we will.
Either way, they are serving the purpose of the Father.
1. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
I know when many people speak about the events which occur during the Tribulation as described in the Book of Revelations the generally give the 4 winds a pass through mention. I think that is a grave mistake considering the simple fact winds can easily destroy many things. Whether in the form of tornadoes or hurricanes 🌀 and typhoons, winds can and do have catastrophic effects.
What do these Scriptures tell us? I believe at the point mentioned, the numbering, that after that not only mega storms and tornadoes will erupt but events with straight line winds will become a norm during this period.
Imagine the affects if the wind streams that move our weather patterns dipped to surface level, without storms, just out of a clear blue shy we begin encountering 175+ mph winds. Winds would devastate entire communities and areas, all because it is part of the Lords judgments.
Most probably hold a pretribulational view, I hold a prewrath view myself, believing Christians will see most of the so-called Endtime and that the rapture will occur near or before the last year or so of the Tribulations. Just my personal thoughts there.
1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 7. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
Well, reached the 60 something club this month.
Doc found a mass in my bladder, got diagnosed with basal carcinoma and had a chunk cut off my nose last month. They said I got fat guy liver disease and had chronic kidney disease….
Wish there was a guidebook giving instructions for the 50 and 60 something club, I’d have stayed in the 40 something club a bit longer if I knew there’d be this many breakdowns 😆..
All things aside, I thank and praise the Lord for both the good and the bad. As John wrote above this is love, that we walk in the commandments of our Savior.
A Laymans Discourse 
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