"The Mystery Of God" - Inspirational Weekend

According to Clarence Larkin, there are eleven mysteries of God.  I may in the future, with the Lord's help, discuss here the other ten mysteries; but right now I will just discuss one, with two aspects involved in this one mystery of God.  A mystery in the New Testament meant something that people did not know because the good Lord had not yet revealed the matter, but would make revelation in His due time.  The prophets of old made reference to these mysteries, and even they did not understand in full.

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the mystery of God should be finished, as He  hath declared to His servants the prophets."    -   Revelation 10:7

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our LORD, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."  -  Revelation 11:15

Some commentators stress the kingdom is meant primarily in these verses; which of course is ruled by Christ.  Then the mystery is finished.  

Other commentators stress that Jesus Christ is the "Mystery of God."  

It all ties in.

"That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's Mystery, which is Christ, in Whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge."   -  Colossians 2:2-3 (English Standard Version)

So Christ is the Mystery of God, and so is the fact that the Mystery is finished, or about to be finished, when the seventh angel sounds, and "the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our LORD, and His Christ."  Of course, it also means what God has revealed concerning the spread of the Gospel, the ruin of the antichrist, and the end of the age.  The Mystery is finished also in the sense that God would then have no more to reveal about these kingdom plans beyond what He revealed to John.

One needs to be a born again believer and thereby filled with the Holy Spirit to fully understand the Word of God.  Even then, some passages can still be difficult to comprehend until you mature in faith and in your spiritual walk.   Read your Bible daily and "pray without ceasing"  (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Ask God to give you wisdom and discernment.  Believe He will answer that prayer, and do not doubt; thereby showing faith.

"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints."  -  Colossians 1:26

We are living in the last hour of the last days.  Even those who are not Christians can discern that these perilous times we find ourselves caught in are more wicked and violent and filled with chaos than ever in the history of mankind....unless maybe the times of Noah may have been worse.  But back then they did not have nuclear weapons and the capability to destroy the earth like they do now.  

When discussing the signs of the end times, Jesus said:  "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."  -  Luke 21:28

Jesus said that to believers.   If you are not a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you have reason to dread what lies ahead.  

Jesus will return soon to take true believers to be with Him in heaven.   Those left behind will have to go through the 7 year Tribulation, which is filled with judgments of God's wrath and unspeakable destruction and torments and horrors.  

You do not want to be here for the Tribulation; nor do you want to spend eternity in hell in torments.  Repent now, if you are not a believer;  turn to Jesus in faith and belief in Him as the Savior.  Pray for forgiveness and surrender your will and your life to Him and believe in His resurrection.

Jesus is waiting to hear from you.  He is full of love and pardon to those who come to Him in true repentance and faith.  

Do not delay ! 

Romans 10:9,10,13 says it best:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -  John 3:3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

"God Is A Sanctuary" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

These cattle egrets seem to have found themselves a tranquil sanctuary in the branches of an extremely large old tree.  A sanctuary can be a church or an area in your home where you pray to and worship God, or any place of refuge where you feel safe and protected.  The ancient Jews, as mentioned in the Bible at Numbers 35:11-15, had cities of refuge where the person who accidentally killed someone could flee to for safety from the avenger of blood.

But God Himself called Himself a sanctuary:

"Therefore say, thus saith the LORD God; although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."  -  Ezekiel 11:16

Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon on the above verse: 

The ancient Jews were sent into exile in other countries because God was punishing them for their lack of respect for Him and for their disobedience and rebellion.  It was an event that displayed the holiness of God; and it was a severe punishment for His people.  The event was to show God's goodness. Even in judgment, He showed mercy.  It was not His intention to destroy, but to correct and reform.

The good Lord assured His people that He would be "a little sanctuary" for them wherever they went.  In using the word "little", perhaps God was saying that He would be as they were; that He would bow down to their littleness and be to each one of them a little sanctuary.  "When the Lord communes with the greatest of men, He must become little to speak with them."  The dispersion made the Jews able to worship God everywhere without a material temple.

"And He shall be for a sanctuary....."  -  Isaiah 8:14a

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (23)  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.  (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."   -  John 4:21-24

A sanctuary was a place of refuge, a place of worship, a place of mercy, the house of mercy, and a place of great holiness.  God Himself is all of that and more.  He will be to us a place of communion and of revelation.  He answers our prayers, and today He "speaks" to us through the Bible, His Holy Word.  So you may find in God and Jesus your sanctuary.  All that you ever could want or need.

If for some reason, either sickness or a long journey, you are unable to go to the house of God, remember that God is your sanctuary and you can worship Him and pray to Him from your home or hospital.  

Below is a song video that relates to this message, although it does not mention God Himself as being our sanctuary:

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn now to the Lord in repentance before it is too late.  Before Jesus returns to take true believers to be home with Him in heaven; or else you will be left behind to face unbelievable horrors during the 7 year tribulation period after the Rapture of the church occurs.  Your eternal destiny, heaven or hell, is what is at stake.

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and all thy soul."   -  Deuteronomy 4:29

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."  -  John 14:6

Jesus is ready to receive you in His loving embrace.  His outstretched arms will receive you with joy and with pardon for your sins.

All it takes is true repentance and a prayer for forgiveness. And, of course, a belief and faith in Jesus as your Savior and belief in His resurrection.

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us :  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Who Or What is Babylon The Great? - (Videos With Bill Salus)

Much has been written about Babylon The Great, or Mystery Babylon; and many videos have been the subject of Babylon The Great as well.  This post of mine includes two videos (featuring Bill Salus and his opinions) on this very subject.   

First, let's go to two Scriptures in the Bible book of Revelation where Babylon the Great is mentioned:

"And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth."     -   Revelation 17:5

"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon The Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."    -  Revelation 18:2

There are several thoughts by Bible scholars on what is actually Babylon the Great and where it might be.   First of all, Babylon the Great is a harlot world religion.  Many believe it might actually be situated in a newly rebuilt Babylon where ancient Babylon was located.  Some even believe it is America, and still others believe it is found at Rome or Mecca. Watch the videos here to learn where Bill Salus thinks Babylon the great is located.  He makes a good case Scripturally for his beliefs.

Mr. Salus suggests the true chronological order in the book of Revelation is to read Revelation 17 first (which talks about the harlot religion... which will come on the scene first after the Rapture of the Church), next read Revelation 13 (which discusses the rise of the antichrist and the Mark of the Beast) , and then to read Revelation 18 last (which is the account of the commercial and economic part of Babylon the Great).   In other words, this is referring to the New World Order or the One World Government which is now in the process of emerging as we speak.....One World Religion, One World Government, and One World Economic System.   Needless to say, as many of you know, this One World Religion is a false and demonic religion.   Remember, true believers in Jesus Christ were taken to heaven in the Rapture prior to the appearance of the antichrist and before the false one world religion and New World Order.

Following are part one and part two of the videos on Mystery Babylon produced by prophecywatchers.com :

                                              Part One

                                          

                                               Part Two 

Both videos are enlightening and informative and I urge you to watch both of them.  

All of this information should wake up those who are still asleep to the fact that we are living in the last hours of the last days that the Bible prophesied.  (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21).  We should be busy doing the Lord's work and telling others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Savior.

In view of the fact that governments are working at the present time to bring about the New World Order, think how close we are to the tribulation period; and then realize that the Rapture is that much closer as it occurs before the 7 year Tribulation.  We need to wake up and be living a life that pleases the Lord; in faith and obedience and in proclaiming the Gospel.  

I cannot repeat this too often:  

Time is short.  

Jesus will return soon.

Are you ready?

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"     -   John 11:25-26

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. "    -  John 14:6

"Herein is My Father glorified,  that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."   -  John 15:8

"You Are Going To Be Okay" - Inspirational Weekend

These beautiful red blossoms on the Cannonball tree are the only appealing thing on this large tree with its ugly "cannons" (fruit) and twisting vines.  It is rather like some people, as well as similar to how our circumstances can appear at times.   Things can get really ugly and burdensome in our lives sometimes, and if we continue to look at the "knots" and "twists" and trials, we will find ourselves depressed and even at times to feel like all is hopeless.   We cannot stay like this !   We should look at "blossoms of beauty" amidst the various trials and upheavals.  

The good and beautiful can uplift us and keep us from giving up.  And what is more good than our Lord, who loves us and  who is there to encourage us when things get us down.   And Jesus is all-beautiful in the sense that His beauty is moral perfection in His life and character.   

"Nothing but encouragement can come to us as we dwell upon the faithful dealing of our Heavenly Father in centuries gone by.  Faith in God has not saved people from hardships and trials, but it has enabled them to bear tribulations courageously and to emerge victoriously."  -  Lee Robertson  

We all have heard that saying, "If God seems far away, guess who moved?"  Yep, we did.  Maybe we don't pray as often as we used to, or maybe we have been too busy to read our Bibles, and before we realize it, we have moved far from the Lord.  That is why we can get so depressed and even fearful about frightful events in our lives or in the world situation right now.   We need to pray for our Heavenly Father to give us an extra portion of His Holy Spirit so we may feel His presence.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one time thing: we are leaky vessels and need to constantly be replenished. "Pray without ceasing"   (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  And while I am thinking about it, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, "Rejoice evermore."   If we endeavor to pray at all times and to see the good and rejoice over what good there is instead of dwelling on the bad things in our lives, then we will be okay.  

"When it seems like God is far away, remind yourself that He is near.  Nearness is not a matter of geography.  God is everywhere.  Nearness is likeness.  The more we become like the Lord, the nearer He is to us."  -  Warren Wiersbe  

How do we become like the Lord?  By building a relationship with Him through prayer and coming to know His attributes by reading the Bible.   God speaks to us by His Holy Word, and by answering our prayers.  By saturating our minds with His Word, by prayer, and by dwelling on spiritual matters, focusing on the Lord instead of the world and its distractions, we will - over time -  become more like Jesus.   Of course, we need to aim for moral perfection as well in order to become Christ-like. 

What gave me the idea to write on this subject is the song below, titled "You're Gonna Be Okay" :

It is a good song, but I tend to emphasize it is not so much what we do to make things better, but what the good Lord does to help us.  We need to petition Him frequently for strength and guidance and endurance and for so much more.   Of course, our Heavenly Father expects action on our part as well, but we need faith in Him first.  

Faith keeps you grounded in our Heavenly Father.    

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee:  He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."  -  Psalm 55:22

We need to watch what we think about, what we take into our minds via the TV or the Internet, or even from our associations -- friends who may be worldly and/or not true believers.   We need to be filling our minds with spiritual things:  God's Holy Word, sermons, and to spend time with other Christians.  When a person first becomes a new believer, he needs his mind transformed by the power of God's Word.  Actually, renewing our minds is an on-going and never-ending process.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us, (1) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

If  you do what the above verses in Romans say, you will be okay.  

But what if you are not a Christian? Not a born-again believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior?   

Then you will not be okay.  

You will not be taken to heaven in the soon to occur Rapture with Jesus, and you will be left behind to face the worst tribulation the world has ever known when God unleashes His wrath upon the world and the ungodly people left on the earth.  You will face all eternity in torment .... away from the God that loved you and wanted to draw you to Him, but for some reason you never gave your life to Jesus.

"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:"  -  Revelation 14:10

The above  verse in Revelation 14 is speaking specifically of those who, during the 7-year Tribulation, take the mark of the beast (antichrist) and who also worship the beast .   But the same punishment applies to all those who die without knowing Jesus as their Savior....... all who do not become true believers and who do not follow the Lord.  

"Almost persuaded to be a Christian is like the man who was almost pardoned, but he was hanged; like the man who was almost rescued, but he was burned in the house.  A man that is almost saved is damned."  -  Charles Spurgeon

Surrender your life to Jesus now, before it is too late.   He is waiting with open arms to embrace you as His very own.  He will forgive you and set you on the right path, if you repent and sincerely ask for forgiveness and turn your life around to follow Him and obey Him.

God loves you.

Surrender your will and your life to the Lord.

Your decision will affect and determine your eternal future.

Choose life.

Choose Jesus.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

-  John 3:3

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"Not Right Now ?" - Inspirational Weekend

Earlier this month I was at the beach with my son and his family and friends, and my 3 year old grandson was my big joy and delight.   One adult friend asked my grandson to do something (I forgot exactly what he asked), and my grandson kept on walking and didn't miss a beat and said, "Not right now" as he continued about, in his 3 year-old way, his important business.  My grandmother's heart thought that was the cutest thing ever!   Naturally, he had heard his parents say that and understood exactly what it meant.   

After later sharing this amusing and precious moment with others, I began to consider the words "not right now" in a more serious and profound way.

How many Christians have felt the call of God to serve as a missionary and have said instead, "Not right now."

How many have felt the urge to help a homeless person, but were intent on their business and thought, "Not right now."

How many were prompted by the Holy Spirit to witness about Jesus but, for one reason or another, decided "Not right now."

I could continue on and on, but you see where I am leading us to.  Most of our ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit is due to selfishness (maybe of not having enough time to spare to act, for example) and just generally self-love where we think only of our own needs and not the needs of others.

See the lighthouse on that 600 foot sea cliff in the above photo of mine?  I have walked the 2 mile trail up to that Makapu'u lighthouse on the southeastern shore of Oahu, Hawaii.  It took a bit of effort, being a grandma, but once at the top the view below was breathtaking and you could see such a beautiful shoreline and the mountains all around. 

Jesus has been compared to a lighthouse.  His life and words and example have been a "light" to many.  It takes effort to stay in His light; being guided by His loving Spirit to put Him first in our lives.

And to obey Him and keep His commandments.

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  -  John 8:12

The hymn, "The Lighthouse," seems fitting to include here now:

Are you walking in darkness now?  Have you heard the gospel and know you need Jesus, but you keep saying, "Not right now."? May I remind you that tomorrow may be too late !  You might die before tomorrow arrives, and then where will you spend eternity without Jesus?  Jesus could return the next minute to rapture true believers to heaven to be with Him......where will you be when the 7-year Tribulation begins if you have not  previously accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and Master?    

One may be so involved in the pleasures and lusts of this world, that they say "Not right now" to surrendering their lives to Jesus.  They love the world too much.   Here is another reminder:

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."  -  James 4:4

And another reminder:

"(15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.   (17) And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."  -  1 John 2:15-17

Many people are enjoying their sinful life in this evil world and do not want to think about giving it all up.  Part of it is their own sinful will, and part of it the influence of the devil, who is the god of this world.

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them."  -  2 Corinthians 4:4  

Please, if you have not done so, accept Jesus as your Savior and put your faith in Him so that you may have eternal life in glory with Him.   Do not continue to say, "Not right now" !   

Jesus' return is imminent... it could occur at any time.

Be ready.

Be like the true believers spoken of in Philippians 2:15 :

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without  rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

The Seven Seals of Revelation - Why A Gap Between The Rapture And The Tribulation (With Video)

I have written previously about a gap of possibly several years between the Rapture of the Church and the beginning of the seven year Tribulation period.   This post includes a video discussing that very subject.  But before we talk about the video, it will be a good idea to discuss the 7 seals of Revelation 6.   There we find the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.  Most of you are familiar with the four horsemen, but many of you probably have not read the Scriptures pertaining to them.   Please read the entire chapter of Revelation 6 for your own edification.  I will touch on those verses briefly now.

Revelation 6:1-2 (the first seal) speaks of the white horse, "and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given him: and he went forth to conquering, and to conquer."  This is the antichrist , who is alive today and will be revealed after the soon rapture of believers.

Revelation 6:4 (the second seal) speaks of the red horse, which symbolizes war.

Revelation 6:5 (the third seal) tells of a black horse, "and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand."  Revelation 6:6 reveals that he represents famine, and economic hard times.

Revelation 6:8 (the forth seal) reveals a pale horse, "and his name that set upon him was Death, and Hell followed with him."

Revelation 6:9-11 (the fifth seal) speaks of "the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"   Notice that these martyrs do not know how long it will be, so, according to Bill Salus, they must have died and said this before the Tribulation began, because the Tribulation begins when Israel signs a peace covenant with the antichrist, and the Bible tells us how long after that before Jesus returns to destroy the wicked on earth and sets up His Millennial Kingdom.  This is expounded upon in the following video.   

Revelation 6:12-17 (the sixth seal) speaks of cosmic disturbances to come upon the earth.  Instead of repenting, the remaining wicked upon earth choose to try to hide.   

The seventh seal begins the seven trumpets.  

In the illustration above, the 5th seal is shown as "Martyrdom and the Great Tribulation."  In the following video from prophecywatchers.com, Bill Salus explains why he believes these seals of Revelation 6 happen after the Rapture but before the Tribulation.

Please watch this video and decide for yourself if you agree with Bill Salus' conclusions.  He "challenges traditional thinking" says Gary Stearman of Mr. Salus.

Whether Bill Salus or anyone else is right or not,  we need to believe the Bible and we need to make sure we are right with the good Lord.  Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.   It does not mean that we will be perfect, but that we should have faith in God and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord, and Master.   We should immediately repent of our sins, and not repeat them and live a life pleasing to the Lord.  We should surrender to Him totally. His will, not ours, be done.   

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."  -  Romans 12:1

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  -  Romans 6:22-23

"Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy."  -  1 Peter 1:16

"The Seven Year Tribulation and End Times (With Sermon on The Tribulation by Charles Stanley)" - Inspirational Weekend

The seven-year Tribulation period is right around the corner; it is a time when God's wrath is poured out upon wicked mankind that live in opposition and defiance of the LORD, those persons that did not accept Jesus as their Savior when there was still time.   Some time before the Tribulation, all those believers that looked to Jesus in faith and repentance were taken to heaven in the Rapture of the Church.   Followers of Christ will therefore not experience God's great wrath  ( 1 Thessalonians 5:9). God's wrath for believers has been satisfied because of their faith in Jesus who took the wrath for them when He died on the cross.  See my previous post on July 7, 2016, directly below for more information on the Rapture.

Many of you may be aware of the verses at Matthew 24:37-39 where it says of the end times that it will be just as in the days of Noah when Christ returns soon.   Did you know that scientists are now producing animals with human organs, that they are planning to experiment with human babies having 3 parents, and that they are attempting to reach a godlike state and live forever with transhumanism?  The fallen angels in Noah's day were doing animal/human creations before God wiped them out with the flood.  It all points to the fact that we are now living in the end times.  I wrote more about this earlier at this link, where you will also find two videos about the days of Noah: one featuring comments by Jeff Kinley, and the other video with commentary by Billy Crone.  Check out what Jeff Kinley has to say; you will find it interesting and eye-opening.   I decided to show the Billy Crone video here again right now:

In the video above, Billy Crone talks about how it was in the days of Noah, as well as the experiments being done in our time with animal/human hybrids (chimeras) and the attempt to create super-soldiers with micro-chips and vaccines to give soldiers where they feel no pain when injured so they can continue to fight.  Much, much more fascinating information is on this video -- things that were being done in Noah's day before God put a stop to it with the global flood.  The heavenly Father will soon put an end to all the evil atrocities being done today, things not only done in the name of science but in every other area as well.  These are the last days !

This post will deal mostly with generalities about the Tribulation; I will get into more detail about the judgments of Revelation in future posts.  Unsaved people need to be aware of how terrible and devastating and all encompassing the Tribulation destruction and punishments will be so that they will turn to Jesus as their Savior and avoid the plagues that will occur during that seven-year period of God's wrath on wicked people.   

The Olivet Prophecy at Matthew 24 and 25 also speaks of this time.   Please read those two chapters.  Jesus says at Matthew 24:22, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."   He also says at Matthew 24:29,  "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken."   

There will, however, be many that will be saved during the Tribulation.  Revelation 7:14 tells us, "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest.  And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."   These Tribulation survivors and believers will have to pay with their lives under the One World Government and the Antichrist.   Revelation 20:4 says, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."     Notice in Revelation 20:4 these believers during the Tribulation were beheaded.   Look at what is now happening with Christians being beheaded and you can figure out that this will continue during the Tribulation -- and by whom, no doubt.  It is easy to see how near we are to first the Rapture, then the Tribulation period.   It is time to get right with the Lord !

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:  behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)   -  2 Corinthians 6:2  KJV

Just a reminder, when we say "Tribulation" we are speaking in general of the entire seven-year period.   But the Bible speaks of the "Great Tribulation", which is the last half of the Tribulation or 3-1/2 years .   Jesus says at Matthew 24:21,  "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

Jesus is here referring to the the event at Matthew 24:15 which is about the revealing of the "abomination of desolation."   This is referring to the Antichrist and his desecrating the future rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.   Daniel 12:1b refers to this as "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time......"   In fact, the last 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation is also known as "Jacob's trouble"  (Jeremiah 30:7). Jacob was the ancient patriarch whose name was changed to Israel from whence came the nation of Israel,     So called "Jacob's trouble" because this time period of persecution and natural disasters is God's way of dealing with the nation of Israel and its sin, in order to bring Israel, the Jews, to acknowledge God and also Jesus as the Messiah.   

I will go into more detail about this topic in my next post and also more about the 70 weeks of Daniel.    Below is a 3 part short sermon (about 25 minutes total) by Dr. Charles Stanley on the Tribulation period.  After the first 10 minutes of the sermon, it automatically rolls over to part 2 and then part 3.

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."   -  Jesus speaking at Revelation 3:11