Dear Friends,
This week Paul concludes his first epistle to the Thessalonians. Father, please help us to carefully consider the times and the seasons as they pertain to your prophetic calendar. Help us to rightly divide your word. Help us as children of the light to be alert and adept at discerning the signs you have given us to watch for. Help us to make ourselves ready concerning the things Paul is writing about. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked Him if He would at that time restore again the kingdom to Israel. And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:7) I believe that Jesus intended this for those to whom He was directly speaking, not those of us who live in the twenty-first century. Daniel was told to seal his prophecy until the time of the end when many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Dan 12:4) We are clearly living in the time when the prophecy has been unsealed. I believe the prophecy was unsealed when Sir Robert Anderson published his commentary on Daniel, The Coming Prince, in 1881. Until then, the mystery of the seventieth week of Daniel was not known to students of Bible prophecy. I have often wondered when the transition took place between the time period represented by the church in Philadelphia and the Laodicean church age. (Rev 3) All the other transitions can be delineated rather clearly. Perhaps 1881 is when the transition took place.
The rapture of the church and the restoration of the kingdom to Israel are linked because the rapture precedes the restoration, as I outlined in last week’s notes. The tribulation period is the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer 30:7). This is when the restoration of Israel goes into high gear as 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel will be anointed to preach the gospel; like 144,000 apostle Pauls anointed to preach the good news as the Antichrist is implementing the New World Order. (Rev 7) The restoration will be complete when Christ returns at the end of the seven-year tribulation period and sets up his kingdom.
The main topic on the agenda next year in Davos, where the elite will confer with one another at the 51st World Economic Forum and set the course for 2021, will be ‘the great reset’ as we transition into ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’. In other words, they will discuss how to usher in their technocracy which has been decades in the making. In his 1970 book, Between Two Ages, elite New World Order architect Zbigniew Brzezinski described a future “Technotronic Era” where populations would be controlled by advanced methods:
….The technotronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more
controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite,
unrestrained by traditional values. Soon it will be possible to assert
almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain
up-to-date complete files containing even the most personal information
about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval
by the authorities,
. . . In the technotronic society the trend would seem to be
towards the aggregation of the individual support of millions of
uncoordinated citizens, easily within the reach of magnetic and
attractive personalities exploiting the latest communications
techniques to manipulate emotions and control reason. [Emphasis added.]
— Zbigniew Brzezinski, 1970 (1)
What they do not know, is that God is going to remove his church from the earth and a new world leader will appear on the scene. This new leader will seize control of the technocratic apparatuses they have constructed and make himself king. They will not be able to control this one as they are used to doing.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
The reason they knew this perfectly is because Jesus used this metaphor. (Matt 24:43; Luke 12:39; Rev 16:15)
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
The defunding of police and even replacing them with social justice warriors in Seattle, or police in Minneapolis telling people to obey criminals, are just a few of the ways they are purposely destabilizing things. They are doing everything possible to stoke tensions and create chaos. While it may seem that there is no rhyme nor reason to their actions, they are, in fact, following a methodical plan. They are using Hegel’s dialectic of ‘thesis’ — ‘antithesis’ — ‘synthesis’:
Thesis — Free Market Capitalism/ Private Ownership/ American Experiment
Antithesis — Communism/ Corporatism/ Anarchy
Synthesis — World Socialism / Ordo Ab Chao (Order From Chaos)
Eventually, the chaos created by the communist agitators will cause people to forsake the old system that America was built on and accept the new system for the sake of peace and safety. It is plain to see we are almost there. When it finally arrives, ie when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them:
….And through his policy also he [Antichrist] shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Daniel 8:25
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
The church in Thessalonica was on the alert. The same could not be said for all first-century Christians. The church in Corinth had to be fed with milk. They were not ready for meat. Likewise, there are many Christians today who do not feel that the Lord is coming back any time soon. For them, He will come as a thief. Since you are reading On Scripture and the End of Days, presumably you are not one of them. Hopefully, you can see that all the signs Jesus gave us to look for are before us, telling us that it is nigh, even at the doors.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. [cf 1 Cor 11:21]
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
Here is one of the marks of a true shepherd who is not a hireling. If you always leave church feeling like you got a nice pat on the back and had your ears tickled, that probably means your pastor is not doing his job. A true shepherd will admonish his flock.
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
If he is doing his job, however, he deserves to be esteemed very highly in love.
If there is a lot of backbiting going on, the church members are not doing their part. Jesus said By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35) Paul concludes his epistle with instructions on how to behave in the meantime:
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
Warn, comfort, or support; depending on whether a brother is unruly, feebleminded, or weak, he needs to be treated accordingly. But we are to be patient with everyone.
Paul talked about the weaker brother in Romans 14. Those who were weak in the faith did not eat meat. In extreme cases, like Paul warned about in 1 Tim 4:3, some made abstaining from meat a religious rite. Paul called that a doctrine of devils. When I was living in deep Hindu territory in India, I marveled at how spiritually-blinded they were. I found Muslims to be much more receptive to the gospel than Hindus. I could only conclude that the lack of protein in their diet, together with the fact that they worshiped idols blinded them from spiritual truths.
If someone abstains from meat as a personal preference we are to support them. If you want to be a strong Christian, however, you should eat meat or at least find some other way to get your protein and iron. Don’t get me wrong, we need our vegetables too, but protein is necessary to make one strong spiritually. The Levites, the spiritual guardians of Israel, had a high protein diet. Cults (including the cult of the new world order) discourage the eating of meat, as it makes it easier for them to brainwash people. Weaker brothers tend more towards legalism. Those who are strong in the faith enjoy the liberty that grace affords them, but we are not to let our liberties become a stumbling block to those who are weak. In issues like esteeming one day above another or eating meat, Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. (Rom 14:5b)
15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
This is another thing Paul talked about in Romans. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:21) Quoting Solomon, Paul said Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. (Rom 12:20)
16 Rejoice evermore.
Paul practiced what he preached. His treatise on Christian joy, the Book of Philippians, was written while he was in jail. This is a good example of Romans 8:28. While Paul was in jail, it afforded him time to write letters. Those letters (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon) have had a tremendous impact on the world. (Phil 1:12)
17 Pray without ceasing.
Don’t just sit there, PRAY something.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
If you’re like me, and I think most Christians are, you want to know God’s will for you. Here it is, spelled out in black and white: In everything give thanks. Paul also instructed us on God’s will in the previous chapter: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (1 Thess 4:3) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Mark 3:35)
19 Quench not the Spirit.
There are many ways you can quench the Spirit. One of them is spelled out in the next verse:
20 Despise not prophesyings.
A few weeks ago I posted prophecy from a pastor in Kentucky that has caused a bit of a stir. People do not like his prophecy because it says bad things are going to happen. There was a prophet named Agabus in the Book of Acts who made some troubling prophecies too. One of them concerned Paul personally. Paul could have gotten mad at him but he didn’t. Instead, he said he was ready to endure the prophecy when it came to pass. Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Ronald Reagan, who was a Christian, famously said, “Trust, but verify.” We are to prove (test) all things. Again, using Pastor Coverstone’s prophecy as an example, I don’t despise it, but it must be tested. He claims faith in Christ so I take him at his word as a brother and accept he is telling the truth. He said that he dreamt the prophecy before the first part came to pass. That means it already passed one test. I still realize we must prove all things, so I will wait to see if the rest comes to pass. If it doesn’t, then I will be glad I waited to prove it. If it does come to pass, then I will be glad I had some advanced warning to prepare. In the meantime I do what I have always done; hold fast to that which is good — the Bible.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
This can be a tricky one. Sometimes our freedom as Christians can cause trouble because it may appear that we may have done something wrong when we didn’t. Paul says we need to be extra careful not to give anyone anything to talk about.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This verse shows the triune nature of man. Watchman Nee wrote extensively on this subject in his book, The Spiritual Man. (1968, Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc) We have a body, a soul, and a spirit. A person is separated from God until she or he accepts Christ as her or his personal Saviour, at which point the spirit is connected to God’s Spirit, and she or he is born again. It is often said, and sometimes ascribed to CS Lewis, ‘you do not have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body’. Your soul is you. Your spirit is is another component of who you are, the part the connects with God. (1 Cor 2:14) The design of our triune being has been likened to the layout of the temple. There was an outer court, an inner court, and the Holy of Holies. In a similar way, your person is comprised of a body, a soul and a spirit. Once you are born again, you are a temple of the living God and Jesus lives in your heart. Like reins, which literally means the kidneys, when the Bible says heart, it means the spirit.
….And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:7
….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.
Hebrews 4:12
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
We have faith because Jesus is faithful.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
¶ The first epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.
1 Thessalonians 5
Thus we conclude our study in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. We should now be well versed on the doctrine of the Lord’s coming for his church, ie the rapture. If you had some apprehension concerning the Antichrist or the New World Order, hopefully your fears have been abated. For the Christian, the return of Christ is a comfort. We are waiting in earnest expectation for the rapture of the church when Jesus will take us to meet his Father—this will happen before the tribulation period begins. We are not waiting for the Antichrist, as he cannot be revealed as long as we are still here. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul will bring us up to speed on the doctrine of the Second Coming, which takes place at the end of the tribulation period.
I believe we are in the time and season when we can expect to be taken home sometime soon. I’ve felt this way ever since I began writing Where Did All the People GO? in the nineties. I wrote Where Did All the People GO? to help people who will be left behind deal the the mother of all psyops, ie the strong delusion that is being prepared for the masses. This article documents how they have been preparing the psyop for decades. In the last four paragraphs, the article veers off from what could be considered an article supporting a biblical perspective, but the rest of the article is good. The recent explosion in Beirut is what I would expect to see at this time, as the Magog Invasion of Israel is something else that is likely to happen around the beginning of the tribulation period. I do not believe it ‘just happened’. What look like detonator explosions* can be seen going off just before the main blast. It may turn out to be a false flag attack which can be used as a pretext to attack Israel. Despite initial reports to the contrary, Lebanon is now investigating possible external interference.
My takeaway from this study is that we need to prepare to meet the Lord by loving one another, living holy lives, standing strong in the faith, holding fast to the Bible, and living by the key points that Paul ended the epistle on. This last section has been called the ‘Christian Ten Commandments’, but I count twenty. How many do you see?
Father, thank You for the comfort we have in the blessed hope of your Son’s soon return. Thank You for giving us clear instructions on how to prepare. I pray that you will not find any of us sleeping, but that we will all remain awake, watching in obedience. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
(1) As cited in Dragon Slayer Jesus Christ, p 221.
*Update 8/12/20: According to reports there were fireworks stored in the same building with the ammonium nitrate. Fake news? Or were they really that incompetent?
Coronavirus Update: https://banned.video/watch?id=5f24a12568370e02f2a8e97d
Dr Simone Gold, who went public about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine, has been fired from her job for ‘embarrassing’ her employer, even as more doctors continue to come forward. The misinformation and hysteria surrounding COVID, together with the soft civil war that we have been dealing with, are transforming the US into a banana republic. The only thing that remains consistent is misinformation and misdirection. A professor at ASU has faked the death of a colleague. Labs have been caught reporting 100% positive test results (obviously falsely). People who die from other causes are recorded as COVID deaths, and virtually all flu deaths are reported as COVID deaths, presumably to inflate the fatality rate. Meanwhile, Governor Newsom admits that California has been under-counting their cases—to increase the fatality rate? Of those who have died from COVID, 95% had pre-existing conditions. But things like that are rarely highlighted. Instead they twist and contort facts in order to induce fear. This sort of yellow journalism is certainly not limited to the COVID crisis. It has become the norm and everything is politicized. This is one of the many symptoms of the transition to the New World Order. And they are just getting started. According to one reporter at the Wall St Journal, the pandemic is a dress rehearsal. On a positive note, an underground church movement that defies government shut down orders is forming in California. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.
