Time of Trouble.

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. 

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 11:44-12:2)

Before our Savior returns- and we DO believe He will- He said so.

Joh_14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh_14:28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Joh 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Do we believe these words? We must if we believe in our Savior. 

The Lord IS going to descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump God!  Clearly when the LORD returns it is going to be the most spectacular event ever to be seen by those who are still alive and watching for Him. Our Lord returning for us, this is OUR HOPE, this is OUR REALITY!

In Daniel we read that right before our Lord returns there is going to be an awful time of trouble. Before that time of trouble begins to take place, Jesus is going to finish the work He is performing in heaven.

The work Jesus is undertaking is intercession for us with God the Father. Jesus is pleading the cause of all those who are to be His. There will come a time when Jesus HAS to be finished with His intercession in order for Him to return. No one will rise to meet Christ in the air who hasn't been forgiven of every sin they've ever committed. Jesus' precious blood will cover all the sins of those who belong to Him.

If we believe this then we have to STOP living in a fantasy world and believing that no matter what everyone on earth will belong to Jesus.  We have millions of people who do not believe in Jesus at all and refuse to believe in Him- will these people rise to meet Jesus in the air when He returns? Absolutely not. Before Jesus returns EVERYONE will have had a chance to find forgiveness and eternal life is Jesus Christ our Lord. Not a single person will be able to say they were NOT given a chance.

Face to face with the truth they may be utterly and completely shocked because of their unbelief. Choosing darkness- no enlightenment, over light- full enlightenment, is something everyone is going to be accountable for. 

This is going to be true--

Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 

Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Read that again…

Those who do NOT sincerely receive the love of the truth, will NOT be saved.

'…That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.'

All that isn't truth is unrighteousness.

Our LORD is coming for us and before He does that, there is going to be an awful time of trouble. Probation will be closed and we will still be living upon this awful earth completely forgiven, secured in the Holy Spirit. 

We may not know when this all takes place, but we know it WILL take place.

We know that Jerusalem is a prophetic focal point and all the major events that take place there are for our watching.

 'And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time shall Michael stand up,…'

Jerusalem where the one staking his claim by placing a formal residence there- outside of their own land but connected, a representative of their own place, will meet his end, and what end is that? The reign of terror this one has enforced to capture all they can will be over. The time of trouble coming is the time when our Savior's mercy is no longer available.  No more mercy, no more chance to be redeemed, to find forgiveness- this is the end that will be made.  Truly, when something is no longer of any effect it can go through the motions all it wants, but the result desired will never manifest.

Satan longs to deceive as many as he can and once our Savior stands up and probation is over, Satan's deception in utilizing millions of people to gain all the people he can to his evil ways will be over. Satan will know this, but people won't and they most assuredly will create that horrific time of trouble.  Just as a criminal knowing they are about to be captured and locked up in prison- may go on a wild spree of criminal activity because their freedom is at an end--Satan knows it and is reacting to knowing. That time of trouble will be more horrific than we care to even begin to imagine, and by the GRACE and MERCY of our LORD and SAVIOR, may we be kept as HIS, our eternal life secure in HIM and HIS love!

More on this tomorrow by the will of our LORD, now and forever!