Who will believe this?

[Keras]

       Isaiah 42:9 The earlier prophecies have come to pass, now I declare new things:

Isaiah 42:10-12 Sing a new song to the Lord, sing His praises throughout the world, you that sail the seas and you that inhabit the coasts and islands.  Let the wilderness settlements rejoice in Kedar and Sela. 

Isaiah 42:13-15 Long have I restrained Myself and kept silence, but now I cry out like a woman in labour. Now I shall lay waste to the hills and dry up the watercourses. The Lord will go forth as a warrior, He will raise the battle cry and triumph over His enemies.

 

Isaiah 42:16-24 You that are deaf, hear now, look you blind and see! Who is as blind as the one who has My trust, so deaf as the servant of the Lord?  You have seen much but perceived little, your ears are open, but you hear nothing. I shall lead the blind along paths they do not know, making smooth the way,  but those who trust in idols will be turned back in shame. It pleased the Lord to further His justice, to make His Law great. Yet, here is a people taken as spoil and plundered, all hidden away with no hope of rescue. Who will pay heed to this? Who was it that handed Israel over? Who gave up Israel for spoil? It was the Lord, against whom they sinned for they refused obedience to His Laws.

Isaiah 42 :25 So, onto Jacob He poured His wrath. The flames of God’s wrath burned him, yet still they did not take it to heart.

Isaiah 43:1-2 But now, Jacob, this is the word of the Lord, of Him who created you: When you pass through waters, I will be with you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched.

Isaiah 43:3-4 I am the Holy One of Israel, your Deliverer. Because I love you, I will give other peoples as ransom for your life.

Isaiah 43:5-7 Have no fear, for I am with you. I shall bring your descendants from the East and West. From the North and South and the ends of the earth, everyone who bears My name, all who I have made for My glory.

Isaiah 43:8 Lead out those who are blind – a people who have eyes, but cannot see, who have ears, but cannot hear.

 Isaiah 43:9 The nations are gathered. Which of them foretold former things? Or can interpret this for us? Let them prove their case, so we can see if it is true.

Isaiah 43:10-13 You are My witnesses, says the Lord. You are My servants, chosen by Me, so that you may understand that I am God alone. I am the Lord and I alone am your Deliverer.  What I do, no one can undo.      Reference: Revised English Bible, some verses abridged

 

42:10-12 All those who love the Lord, throughout the world – get ready to praise Him for their deliverance.

42:13-15 The Lord has restrained Himself, but soon He will act in the world.  Psalms 50:1-6

42:16-17 His People, righteous Christians, the Israelites of God, will be led into the Promised Land. Anyone who revolts and rebels cannot enter. Ezekiel 20:37-38

42:18-20 & 43:8 The Lord’s servants are unable to understand prophecy or foresee His plans for them. Jeremiah 4:22, Jeremiah 6:10 That is how God wants it.

42:22-25 His people, the faithful Christians, are scattered among the nations by the Lord, as punishment for the sins of their spiritual forefathers  2 Kings 23:27, Galatians 3:26-29

43:1-7 But now, when the Lord sends His vengeance and fiery wrath, the Lord will protect His faithful people. . They will be gathered into the Promised Land.  Zechariah 10:8-10, Isaiah 35,, Ezekiel 34:11-16, Romans 9:24-26 The unbelievers of Israel, will not. Ezekiel 20:34-38

43:9-13 The other nations are ignorant of the Lord’s plans. The faithful Christians are His witnesses and servants chosen by Him, so they will know God and spread the Gospel of the soon to come, Kingdom of Jesus.   Isaiah 66:19, 1 Peter 2:9-10                                                                                 

 

[Keras]

Proverbs 1:20-27 Wisdom cries aloud in the open places, in the streets, she says: How long will you fools be content with your simplicity? If only you would respond to my reproof, I would fill you with My spirit and make My precepts known to you. But because you refuse My call, reject My advice and will have none of My admonition, then, I in turn will laugh at your doom and deride you, when terror comes like a hurricane and your doom approaches like a whirlwind and anguish and distress come upon you.

Proverbs 10:24-30 What the wicked dread will overtake them, what the righteous desire will be granted. When the whirlwind sweeps past, the wicked will be gone, but the righteous will be established forever. The fear of the Lord gives a person length of days, but the years of the godless are cut short. The Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but He brings destruction onto the evildoers.

            The righteous will never be shaken, the wicked will not remain in the Land.

Proverbs 12:12-13 The strongholds of the wicked crumble like clay, they are caught by their own offensive talk and actions. The righteous come safely through the troubles ahead.

Proverbs 16:2-6 A person’s ways may seem right to him, but the Lord weighs up his motives. Commit to the Lord all that you do and your plans will be successful. The Lord works out everything for His own ends, so He has made the wicked for a Day of disaster. One and all, the proud are an abomination to the Lord, be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.

   Through love and faithfulness, sin is atoned for, through the fear of the Lord:  a person avoids evil.

Proverbs 8:4-21 It is to you that I call, to all mankind I appeal. You who are uninstructed: gain knowledge, you who are complacent and imprudent – gain understanding.

Listen, for I shall speak clearly, I say nothing but the truth, all that I say is right. It is straightforward to those with understanding, it is plain to those with knowledge. Choose My instruction rather that silver, My knowledge is better than pure gold. To fear the Lord is to hate evil, to hate pride, arrogance, cruelty, subversive talk and sinful actions. I am Wisdom, from Me comes sound advice and knowledge I love those who love Me and those who search for Me will find Me. In My hands are wealth and prosperity, I shall fill the treasuries of those who love Me.

Proverbs 8:22-31 The Lord appointed Me from the beginning, long ago before all else was made. When He set the heavens in place, gave the seas their boundaries and fixed the earth’s foundations, then I was by His side rejoicing in His presence. I got pleasure over the whole world and My delight was in mankind.

                                                                               Ref: REB, NIV. Some verses abridged.

It seems obvious that the Wisdom described in Proverbs, is Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:15 Christ is the image of the invisible God, for by Him everything was created.  

His instructions are as given to us by His prophets and personally in the New Testament. We are told in many passages to ‘fear the Lord’, that is: hate evil, pride, arrogance, cruelty, subversive talk and sinful actions. Not really impossible for us, is it?                                                                         

[Keras]

Delusions:

Isaiah 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before My eyes, and chose what displeased Me.  Ezekiel 20:25

The prevalent error is in thinking that the Israel visible today is still the chosen of God. Wrong; they un-chose themselves, Matthew 27:25 and now it is every born again Christian, who belongs to the new nation of God's people. Matthew 21:43

With the rapture cult, the initial error is that of separating Israel and the Church, so they could still look for salvation to come to ethnic Israel, as a major tenet of their doctrine: Israel on earth, the Church in heaven.   The pre-Trib rapture teaches removal to ensure survival from tribulation, but salvation has always been stated to redeem us from our fallen sinful state, in our earthly situation.   

 Acts 20:21 I know that when I am gone, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 2 Peter 2:1-3, 2 Timothy 4:3-4

The rapture idea is that God will “save us” from that which must occur – thus equating  this supposed removal with salvation. After so many Christians saw the inadequacy and misappropriation of the verses used to promote Pre-Trib, the Post-Trib alternative was then built around surviving the tribulation – thus sustaining the illusion that survival is somehow related to salvation.

A strong delusion is mentioned in the New Testament:    2 Thessalonians 2:11  And for this reason God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.

This delusion has people looking forward to the 2^nd Coming (in the so called rapture to heaven, Pre, Mid, or Post) believing in a rapture removal from the earth. The reality is, we experience  His glorious salvation when we enter in to the blessed assurance that Christ’s Death means the penalty for our sin has been paid because of His sacrifice on the Cross.   Ever since then, believers must trust in Jesus for their salvation and for their protection during the testing times to come.  Isaiah 43:2, Psalms 31:23-24

And if the Lord does not save them, just as has happened to the millions of martyrs in the last 2 centuries, then we must die trusting in His promise of resurrection. Revelation 12:11, Revelation 13:10  Our souls will be kept under the heavenly Altar, Revelation 6:9-11, and Jesus will bring them with Him at His Return, then bring us to life again, to reign with Him for 1000 years. Revelation 20:4

Jesus said: take care that you be not deceived..... Seems that many have been rather careless!

 

 

 

[luigi]

On 2/2/2024 at 11:27 PM, Keras said:

Thanks.   Yes, it has been sad that many have 'jumped the gun' and predicted an end times event, only to be embarrassed and made a laughing stock. 

However, Jesus said; we should know the season of when it will all happen. But like the Jews when Jesus came; they had the information and failed to understand it and this time will be no different. 

Daniel 12:10b.....a few wise leaders will understand. So it is possible for those who put aside mans teachings and rely solely on what all the Prophets have told us. 

 

Metaphors Keras,

Yes, the mountains shall be molten, when the Lord cometh out of his place, and comes down to tread upon the high places of the earth (Micah 1:3-4). BUT--Mountains in the bible more often than not, are a metaphor for large powerful nations. As such, the high places of the earth the Lord will tread upon are the powerful large nations (unjust policies) that are becoming increasingly unjust. The mountains (large powerful nations), unjust policies shall thereby melt (fall apart) when the Lord commences His treading upon the high places of the earth. This time is also referred to as The Day of the Lord, and is more than a 24 hour period (another metaphor for day). In addition to the mountains (large nations) upon whose unjust ways the Lord shall tread upon, so too shall the Lord shall contend with the hills (small nations), and all proud nations during the day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12-14).

Micah 1:3 For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. 4 And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.

Isaiah 2:12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:13  And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, 14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,