Thoughts On The End Times

[DF_McLeod]

Even before I became a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ I had a strange and strong feeling that the end times are very near. I kept getting thoughts about how the end would play out, when it would come and what my part would be in all of it. After becoming a believer, this didn't change. The feeling of the end just got stronger and it became even clearer that I would be playing a very important role when the end came.

I have had several prophetic dreams which a strong Christian friend of mine interpreted for me and according to him it would seem that my job will be to attempt to warn and save people during the 7 years of tribulation. Much to my dismay, I would probably be ignored until my death which I strongly feel will occur right after the mid point of the tribulation when the antichrist sits on God's throne and claims he is God. I often imagine myself being brutally slain with swords, though perhaps that is just my own imagination coming up with a "cool" way to perish.

The past few months I have been seeing many signs of the end and have found myself searching for answers more than ever. It appears that many of the prophesies are coming true and yet people are just laughing them off, blaming them on more worldly and scientific causes. It actually incites anger in me when I think of all the people who ignore the signs and often I feel like shouting out at people, though I have refrained so I don't get called a mad-man and thrown away.

I am convinced the end will begin either this month or some time early next year and will persist onward into 2018. I'd like to get some opinions on this from you guys. What are your thoughts on the end times, the second coming of Christ, the Rapture and all of that stuff?

[goldust59]

I too feel that we are close to the end of things. I have felt many times like yelling out "wake up & see what is happening". My feelings seem to run in circles, from excitement to anger, to frustration & to deep sorrow of spirit.

I don't know when things will become more evident, but I feel something major will happen some time next year & will open the eyes of more people to where we are in time.

There are many threads that address the topics you mention & a lot of different views on them. Look through the Prophecy & the Controversial forums & you will find some to read.

[joi]

I no longer think we are in the end times. There is no seven year contract and Israel is not living in peace.

Like others in the past I think we are applying news events to make prophecy fit our desires. We can not force God's timing

in end times events. I may well be wrong, but this is what I am thinking these days.

I think that instead of the end days that we are living Leviticus 26, even as Israel did. If we (USA) do not wake up and confess

our National sins to God and make changes on a personal level, regarding God, this country is going to become enslaved.

Read it in Lev. 26 !

[Guest borderline]

I no longer think we are in the end times. There is no seven year contract and Israel is not living in peace.

Like others in the past I think we are applying news events to make prophecy fit our desires. We can not force God's timing

in end times events. I may well be wrong, but this is what I am thinking these days.

I think that instead of the end days that we are living Leviticus 26, even as Israel did. If we (USA) do not wake up and confess

our National sins to God and make changes on a personal level, regarding God, this country is going to become enslaved.

Read it in Lev. 26 !

A seven years contract or peace treaty with Israel isn't going to happen. But the experts would like you to believe so!

[JohnD]

It is true that when the trials and tribulations of this fallen world come, people tend to predict the end of days is upon us. But the true indicator of where humanity is on the prophetic clock is Israel.

Hosea 9:10 (KJV)

10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Matthew 24:32-34 (KJV)

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Revelation 14:19-20 (KJV)

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.

Revelation 19:15 (KJV)

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Jeremiah 30:7 (KJV)

7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Israel is the fig tree that has gotten tender branches but it has yet to produce fig leaves. It is significant that the Jews are back in the land (Ezekiel 37:17ff) but it is a secular state and the Levitical sacrifices have not been re-instituted. Even then we do not know when the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel begins until the 1230th day of it when the sacrifices will be abated and we can count back to that point.

Daniel 12:11-12 (KJV)

11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

The 70th Week is seven prophetic years (2520 days). Subtract 1290 and day 1230 is the day the sacrifices will cease.

Daniel 9:27 (KJV)

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

he shall confirm the covenant ("THE covenant" is the Mosaic Covenant)

with many (the Hebrew says with the rabbiym or rabbis) look it up for yourselves.

for one week: most here understand this is like the Jewish decade a seven year period called a week.

in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, Zechariah 5:5-11 gives us a clue that he will renege on his covenant with the Jews ad revert to the covenant of his "Moses" (Nimrod) on the plains of Shinar (Babylon) and then the Jews will become the refuseniks the Christians had previously been.

Revelation 13 makes it clear that the whole world will follow the beast except for Christians. 666 will be a tracking device / system to hunt down believers in Jesus who will not accept the mark and kill them. When the rapture takes place (Daniel 12:12 indicates day 1335 of the 70th Week) the few who survive to that point will be so far underground in hiding that their sudden disappearance will go virtually unnoticed. In fact, the way the beast suddenly changes his attitude toward the Jews, even he will most likely believe the Christians are already extinct when he heads for the holiest place and claims to be God and then reneges on his covenant with the Jews.

[JohnD]

As to the OP's martyrdom or any of us (as events may happen more quickly that most realize and possibly within our lifetimes)... when it comes right down to "Take the mark of the beast NOW or DIE!" You will see many so-called brethren betraying brethren to death... So you and I and many of us living today might well experience this. I tend to think that when it comes right down to the sword being wielded over our necks there will be very few who will be able to resist until death. Most of us hope we will. But I rather think it a minor test of faith when we withhold witnessing to neighbors, coworkers, strangers in the street fearing the loss of a job or persecution or embarrassment... how will we respond when our very life is on the line?

[JohnD]

America, as an aside, fell into the trap forewarned in Deuteronomy 28.

Listen to Deuteronomy 28

Deuteronomy 28 (KJV)

1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.

11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.

18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

20 The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

21 The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.

22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

25 The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

26 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.

27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:

29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.

30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.

31 Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.

32 Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.

33 The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:

34 So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

35 The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.

36 The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.

37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.

38 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.

39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.

40 Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.

41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.

42 All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.

43 The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.

44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.

45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:

46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.

47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;

48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:

51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.

52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:

54 So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:

55 So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.

56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,

57 And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;

59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.

61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.

63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.

64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

68 And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

[OldShep]

Even before I became a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ I had a strange and strong feeling that the end times are very near. I kept getting thoughts about how the end would play out, when it would come and what my part would be in all of it. After becoming a believer, this didn't change. The feeling of the end just got stronger and it became even clearer that I would be playing a very important role when the end came.

I have had several prophetic dreams which a strong Christian friend of mine interpreted for me and according to him it would seem that my job will be to attempt to warn and save people during the 7 years of tribulation. Much to my dismay, I would probably be ignored until my death which I strongly feel will occur right after the mid point of the tribulation when the antichrist sits on God's throne and claims he is God. I often imagine myself being brutally slain with swords, though perhaps that is just my own imagination coming up with a "cool" way to perish.

The past few months I have been seeing many signs of the end and have found myself searching for answers more than ever. It appears that many of the prophesies are coming true and yet people are just laughing them off, blaming them on more worldly and scientific causes. It actually incites anger in me when I think of all the people who ignore the signs and often I feel like shouting out at people, though I have refrained so I don't get called a mad-man and thrown away.

I am convinced the end will begin either this month or some time early next year and will persist onward into 2018. I'd like to get some opinions on this from you guys. What are your thoughts on the end times, the second coming of Christ, the Rapture and all of that stuff?

Throughout the years I have come to understand that I should not trust my feelings, for feelings come from the part of me which is of this world. Trust in the word of God and do as Jesus as taught us. The Father did not tell Jesus when the end would come, so why on earth would He tell me or you. My part is to follow my Lord Jesus and to keep watch for His return, while spreading the seed of Truth to those I meet. May the peace of Christ be with you always Sir.

ICL Dennis:

By the way: 'DF_McLeod

[MorningGlory]

I no longer think we are in the end times. There is no seven year contract and Israel is not living in peace.

Like others in the past I think we are applying news events to make prophecy fit our desires. We can not force God's timing

in end times events. I may well be wrong, but this is what I am thinking these days.

I think that instead of the end days that we are living Leviticus 26, even as Israel did. If we (USA) do not wake up and confess

our National sins to God and make changes on a personal level, regarding God, this country is going to become enslaved.

Read it in Lev. 26 !

Israel isn't at peace, true. But things can change overnight, joi, and I believe that time is fast approaching. I don't worry so much about being enslaved any time soon though; the government simply isn't capable of incarcerating or controlling 310,000,000 people.....at least not yet. We shouldn't rant and rave about the coming end but, rather, embrace it because we will then be with our Lord.

[DF_McLeod]

Israel isn't at peace, true. But things can change overnight, joi, and I believe that time is fast approaching. I don't worry so much about being enslaved any time soon though; the government simply isn't capable of incarcerating or controlling 310,000,000 people.....at least not yet. We shouldn't rant and rave about the coming end but, rather, embrace it because we will then be with our Lord.

Just wanted to point out, without scripture I'm afraid as I'm still new to all of this, that a law is being passed in the US that will allow the government to detain American citizens on US soil for any reason and hold them for life in prison. Also take a look at the FEMA camps being set up, the military transport vehicles being spotted around and other such things.

Another thing that leads me to believe the end is indeed near is the prophecy of Saint Malachy which can be read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes

By his prophecy, the Catholic Church is on the second last pope before "Peter the Roman". It would seem every one of his prophesied figures fits and I'm wondering since the current pope may resign next year that the timeframe of 2011-2018 as being the 7 years of tribulation may become a reality.

There's some speculation and conspiracy theories floating around suggesting that Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, is the antichrist. The theory seems to suggest that since he was, was not, and may be again, he would indeed fit the criteria of being the antichrist. It has also been suggested that he is of Roman descent which seems to coincide with antichrist prophesies and theories.

Not sure if anyone has seen this stuff but it's definitely worth looking at.

Edited December 13, 2011 by DF_McLeod