End TimeS Bible Prophecy

Bible Prophesy: What Lies Ahead -- Opening Address #1

By Darryl M., Crossroad of Truth Ministries

The Big Picture of the End Times

Note: This is the opening address given in Class 1 above, and there were 4 opening addresses given in the first 5 classes which are reproduced below. This teaching series is a rare, comprehensive Bible Study, in chronological order of all the most important Bible Prophesies of the End Times which all people should understand. Any serious student of the Bible should be familiar with these teachings of God. Over 25% of the Bible is prophesy, Jesus spoke extensively on the end times in the Gospel books, and it is therefore God’s will that we understand it.

In this special series titled “Prophesy: What the Lies Ahead”, we’ll be revealing what the Bible says will occur in the final years of man’s reign on earth. This will be particularly relevant to all of us in these times of disease, disaster and rapid change that is occurring in the world.  This series will prove without any doubt that the Bible is God’s Word, and its teachings are the only source of truth in a world full of lies and confusion. This is because the Bible proves its divine origin through hundreds of remarkably accurate predictions of the future that have already been fulfilled and are continuing to be fulfilled in front of our very eyes.

 These messages may not be what you want to hear, or may be inconsistent with your preconceived ideas of God’s plan for humanity, and will be shocking to those who are new to this teaching. But it is truth. And it is God’s Word. However, there is very good news at the end of the story and a solution that God has provided to every man and woman who wishes to escape the misery of the final days of humanity. This good news is the final climax of the Bible and world history when Jesus Christ returns to the Earth in His second coming to pronounce final judgement on the world who has rejected Him, and to set up the kingdom of God on earth where He will reign.  It’s critical that you understand these teachings to ensure you are ready for the return of the Lord Jesus to the Earth.

This series will address many questions that the world is asking, such as:

1.      What is the New World Order and how is related to what the Bible calls the revived Roman Empire?

2.      Are there indications of a coming world crisis in the immediate future that will revolutionize society: politically, religiously and economically?

3.      Who will be the leader of the New World Order and who is the Antichrist of the Bible?

4.      What are the characteristics of the Antichrist and his sidekick, the False Prophet?

5.      Are Jesus’ fourfold signs of Pestilence, Earthquake, War and Famine occurring to the degree predicted (“beginning of sorrows”) before the Antichrist will appear?

6.      What does the Bible say about the players and outcome of the large world wars that are predicted to occur during the end times? How does Israel fit into these wars?

7.      Will the Church go through a period of unparalleled persecution and suffering during the tribulation or will it be raptured out of it before the last 7 years of this age begins?

We will also be discussing questions related to current events that are affecting the world, such as:

8.      Is coronavirus or COVID 19 a sign of the end times? How are globalists using this crisis to advance what they call a New World Order or one world government? Things such as the rapid advance of 5G, AI and surveillance technology, mandatory vaccinations with digital ID’s and tracking ability, the loss of civil rights and freedoms, the factual position of many elites who believe a massive depopulation of the planet must occur, and the increased amount of evil in the world.

These, my friends, are the questions that are engaging the minds of Christians who are familiar with Bible prophesy, and even unbelievers are now waking up to the changing world we are now living in and are asking what the Bible says about these things. Can politics, religion and economics shed light on where the world is headed? What is the ultimate destiny of the world and when will the terminal be reached? I will be providing answers to these questions from the Word of God alone. There is no other revelation, since only the Bible can lift the veil and reveal the future. So, with my Bible and current events as reported in the news, I will attempt to explain what is happening and what can be expected to occur in the not-to distant future. For the unbelieving world, these messages will be shocking and profound, but true nevertheless.

 I will not be predicting any dates or times, since the Bible clearly tells us that no one knows the day or the hour when Christ will return. However, Jesus Christ Himself tells us to “watch” for many specific signs that will precede His return and these signs will be visible in the final days to all of those who are educated on these teachings. As we go through this detailed prophesy teaching from the Bible over the next few weeks, I think we will be able to see that the signs that Jesus and the prophets gave us are being fulfilled before our very eyes right now. I believe that this generation may very well be fortunate to witness earth’s final act and be alive to see the Lord Jesus Christ return to the air to rapture the saints. Whether this occurs in our lifetime or afterwards, or whether the rapture occurs at the beginning or the end of the tribulation, it doesn’t matter, for the goal of this teaching is to ensure you are ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ and avoid the wrath to come.

 After 2,000 years of ceasing to be a nation, one of the most significant prophetic end time events of the Bible was fulfilled in the year 1917 when Israel ceased to be trampled down by the Gentiles, and then in 1948 Israel formally became a nation again. This end times prophesy is referred to by Jesus as the fig tree budding in season, and we know that Israel is always symbolized as a fig tree.  What makes this so miraculous is that the Old Testament prophets and Jesus Himself predicted both the scattering of the Jews and destruction of Jerusalem and the regathering of the Jews in their homeland in the end days, and the fact that they have managed to escape multiple extermination attempts, while maintaining their culture, language and beliefs after 2,000 years without a nation of their own is proof that the Bible is the Word of God.

 Now, the next great event in the world’s history according to Bible prophesy is to be the revival of the Roman Empire, the Bible is unmistakably clear on this. 10 nations exactly are to become allied and form the revived Roman Empire. World leaders have been publicly declaring for decades that their goal is to create a “New World Order”, often disguised under the catch phrase “globalism”. Is it a coincidence that the United Nations was formed at the exact time Israel became a nation after WW2, that the headquarters of the EU was intentionally designed to resemble the Tower of Babel, and that France and Germany are calling for the creation of a European Army as NATO and the US alliance with Europe has been rapidly deteriorating. There is debate on the exact nations to comprise this revived 10 league Roman Empire and which nation will be the leadership capital of the Antichrist, primarily because the original Roman Empire was vast and encompassed many nations spanning from Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East and Western Asia. It could be that the outcome may not be 10 nations as we currently define borders, but 10 leaders (“toes” Dan. 2 or “Horns “Dan 7:7; Rev. 13:1, 17:3) ruling over the entire region.

This New World Order or Revived Roman Empire will be ruled by an emperor and He is called the Antichrist, and he will rule the entire world as a dictator (Rev.13:7; Daniel 7:8).  The 13th chapter of Revelation describes minutely the revived Roman Empire and the Antichrist. The 10 horns and 10 crowns represent 10 kingdoms, and all of them together represent the restored Roman Kingdom. Revelation 13 goes on to say that the Beast, or the Antichrist, receives its power from the Dragon, namely Satan. Revelation describes a figure called the False Prophet, who will be the Antichrist’s assistant and who will head up a new one-world religion. Most believe the Vatican will be a key player in the New World Order and the current Pope has taken unprecedented steps to unify Catholics, Muslims and other religions under the banner of world peace and universalism.

 War is not over. The Bible clearly teaches that nations will continue to war against one another right up until the end of the age. There are at least two major unfulfilled prophetic wars still to occur, the first being the Ezekiel war of Gog and Magog where the nations of Iran, Turkey and Russia will attack Israel, but will be defeated and culminate in a historic 7-year peace Agreement, made by the Antichrist himself with Israel. While we can expect a short gap of “peace and safety”, the Antichrist will break the covenant 3.5 years into the agreement and bring an end to sacrifices in the temple, while declaring himself to be god.

 The Bible indicates that the Antichrist will be wounded to death, but miraculously restored to life (Rev. 13:3). Then the Antichrist will require world-wide worship and no nation will have enough power to war against him. Blasphemy is one of the characteristics of the Antichrist (Rev. 13:5), and the saints are to be persecuted and martyred more than ever before in history. Miracles are to be performed by this Emperor and a statue of him will be brought to life and made to speak and eventually brought into the rebuilt Jerusalem temple to commit the unspeakable “abomination of desolation” where he will declare himself to be God in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (2 Thess. 2:3-4; Mark 13:14).

 One of the most clear and relevant signs of the Antichrist reign described in Revelation 13, is the requirement of everyone in the world to receive a mark on their forehead or right hand, representing the mark of the Beast and allegiance to the Antichrist. Anyone who refuses the mark will not be able to buy or sell, and will ultimately starve to death or be killed, however, anyone who takes the mark will be have no hope whatsoever of God’s salvation and eternal life. Recent discussions of microchipping, vaccinating, tracking the entire population by AI and surveillance technologies and implementing social credit systems such as that being used in China, are not the mark of the Beast, but for the first time in history, they represent the technology infrastructure that would be required for the Antichrist to control the economics and freedoms of each individual in the world.

 Then during the last 3.5 years or what Jesus calls the Great Tribulation period, a series of devastating acts and judgements will occur resulting in the death of half of the earth’s population. Finally, there will be the mother of all wars, the final battle of Armageddon, when the armies of the Antichrist surround Jerusalem, but are defeated in the great and awesome Day of the Lord, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth which his resurrected saints and defeats the Antichrist and Satan.

 Do we know the time Jesus will return to reign as king? I believe we have a very good idea.  We know that these things will take place during the last 7 years of earth’s existence, known as the Tribulation or the prophet Daniel’s 70th week. Since the Revived Roman Empire and the rise of the Antichrist are 2 unmistakable signs, associated with a specific timeline, that is the reason I’ve placed emphasis on these things in this opening address.

 This is the picture the Bible gives us of the end days. For Christians, this message is a wake-up call to be ready for the Lord’s Return and to impress a new urgency to share the Gospel with the lost world. It’s also of urgent importance for Christians to understand these truths, since Jesus said that deception will be so strong that “even the Elect may deceived”. Jesus commanded us to “watch” for the signs, so this isn’t an optional teaching, it’s God’s will that we understand it.

 For unbelievers who are listening, this message could save your life. The message is ultimately why we need the Salvation of God, or the Gospel, which is the only way to escape the wrath of God in the end times, and receive eternal life. It is found by only way, which is putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and your God and turning from your evil ways. This is a message of life and death. Eternal life and eternal death.

 While all this may sound scary, remember, this is all about ushering in the return of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, to establish the Kingdom of God on earth and to reign from David’s throne in Jerusalem with His followers for all eternity. This is the blessed hope of every Christian. God’s plans are perfect and we must trust in Him.

By: Darryl M.

Crossroad of Truth

May 4, 2020

Bible Prophesy: What Lies Ahead - Opening Address #2

By Darryl M., Crossroad of Truth Ministries

False Prophets & The Rise of the Occult

 Christian students of Bible prophesy are not the only ones who understand the signs of the end times and how the future will unfold. Demons of a high order, empowered by Satan, and inspiring their human subjects, are also perfectly familiar with the coming events to a large extent, and they are executing their part in God’s prophetic timeline as predicted.

 The very first sign that Jesus gave the disciples of His return is the rise of False Prophets and False Messiah’s who will “deceive many” (Mark 13:5-6). In addition, the Bible says that “evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). During the tribulation of the final 7 years, Revelation says that there will be a rise in the demonic after a war between the Arch Angel Michael and Satan which results in Satan and his demons being cast down to earth (Rev. 12:7-12), and the Bottomless Pit being opened (Rev. 91-3), resembling as Jesus calls it “the days of Noah” (Matt. 24:37; 1 Peter 3:19-20). The days of Noah were characterized by much wickedness with demons mingling and being worshipped by humans, as well as extreme sexual immorality and idolatry. Just as God poured out His wrath upon the wicked in the days of the flood, and imprisoned the demons, God will unleash His wrath using the final bowl judgements and upon Christ’s return, Satan and all his demons and followers will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10; Matt. 25:41).

 Remember, this rise in demonic deception has been decreed and permitted by God (2 Thess. 2:9-12), and is already occurring everywhere in our society, however, most of the world is completely blind to it (2 Cor. 4:4).

 While Satan worship, cults, witchcraft, magic (the occult), astrology and communicating with the spirit world have existed since the fall of man in the garden, Jesus Himself warned that false prophets, false christs and deception will be a clear sign that must accompany the other signs before He can return to the earth. These false systems will not only try to deceive, but will try to obliterate Christianity entirely. There is only one enemy of Satan, and that is Jesus Christ and His Word. We can see the signs of this occurring everywhere, and they have been increasing dramatically during the past 50 years. In Newsweek’s Nov 2019 edition, an article titled “Number of witches Rises Dramatically Across US as Millennials Reject Christianity” reported that there are now 1.5 million practicing witches across the US, up from 730,000 in 2014, making them larger than the Presbyterian Church denomination. The church of Satan is growing rapidly, receiving large amounts of positive press in Canada’s Global News and the BBC. A 2018 study by Pews Research found that New Age beliefs among people who identify as Christians in the US are soaring – the study reported that 33% of Christians now believe in reincarnation, 40% of “Christians” believe in psychics and 29% of Christians believe in astrology.

 The world began a great movement away from the Biblical world view last century, with ideas such as evolution, a Liberal interpretation of the Bible, mass media and technology has been used to change the moral values of society, the rise in New Age/Eastern religious spiritual teachings and practices, to now even challenging foundational moral principles of the Bible (i.e. Gen. 1:27). There are hundreds of sub-agendas disguised as single topic societal issues with a seemingly noble goal (i.e. equal rights), that are really designed to deceive the masses while continually chipping away at the Biblical world view (examples of this deception are: all religions lead to the same God, restrictions on freedom of speech and religion, etc.). The deception and lies are too detailed to discuss here, but in the past 20 years most of the values and beliefs that were almost universally accepted since the founding of the United States, have all but been abandoned and in some cases even outlawed. All while many atheist and non-Christian organizations have been publically declaring a war on Christianity.

 However, many movements and New Age teachers are more subtle, claiming to believe in God and even speaking about Jesus, but they teach that all religions seek the same God and they deny foundational Biblical beliefs such as the Gospel of Christ & Christ crucified, the deity of Jesus, judgement after death, hell, righteousness by faith, creation, etc. (Gal 1:8). The Bible clearly states that anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is God and the atoning sacrifice He made on the cross, is a false prophet, and therefore has an “antichrist” spirit. The Bible tells us exactly how to test where the spirit who is proclaiming information comes from, God or Satan, and it’s an easy test:

 1 John 4:1-6 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already… By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.  (1 John 4:1-6).

 So those of you who sincerely think you know God, do your spiritual teachers meet the test I just read? If your teacher doesn’t teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Bible unequivocally states that these teachers are false prophets and are actually antichrists. This may be difficult for some to accept, and may force you to re-evaluate everything you believed up to this point. Have you been experiencing the one true God of the heavens and the earth, or have you been deceived by Satan, the serpent of old (Rev. 20:2-3), who is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).

 As the days grow darker, we can expect that the opposition to destroy Christianity will peak with the rise of the Antichrist, who ultimately will demand death from anyone unwilling to deny the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible describes him as the “beast who was and is not and yet is” (Rev. 17:8), leading some prophesy scholars to believe that He will be the reincarnation of a former evil man, such as Judas Iscariot, Antiochus Epiphanes or Nero, as example.

 Last week I discussed that the Antichrist will not only lead a revived Roman Empire of 10 nations, but he will also form an alliance with someone the Bible calls the False Prophet. Many Bible scholars have observed that the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope could play a role in uniting the religions of the world into one world religion, to fulfil what the Bible calls the “Great Harlot” of Babylon.  Already we see the Pope taking the Vatican to new levels of world influence in politics, while making major progress to consolidate the major religions under their leadership. Ultimately, the Bible predicts that the Antichrist will overthrow the Great Harlot for his purpose to completely eliminate all religion and replace himself as the object of worship (2 Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 13:15).

 Thank God the Bible tells us that this dark picture of the tribulation will only last a short time, and that Jesus Christ will return after 3.5 years to throw the Antichrist and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire along with all those who were deceived by them and accepted the mark of the beast (Rev. 19:20; 14:9-11). What a glorious hope we have to know that these last days will be short and will come to end with our Lord reigning in victory with his believers for eternity.

 Friends listening, are you ready to meet God? Are you prepared to face the Antichrist? Do you know the truth of the Bible to ensure you are not deceived by the Antichrist and the False Prophet? If the rapture of believers to the sky does not happen until the near the end of the tribulation, are you prepared to resist the Mark of the Beast and be prevented from buying the necessities of life? There is only way of escape, and that is through Jesus Christ. If you accept Him today as your Lord and personal Saviour, it will not matter if you go through the tribulation or if you are raptured out of it, you will be ready. Heed the warning of the prophets and “flee the wrath to come” (Matt. 3:7; Luke 3:8; 1 Thess 1:10), otherwise it will be too late. “Now is the day of salvation”. For unbelievers hearing this, it’s not enough to just understand the things I am saying, you must make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as God, admit you are sinner in need of a saviour and put your trust in Him. If you humble yourself to do this simple act of faith, you will be saved for all eternity.

By: Darryl M.

Crossroad of Truth, Online Bible Study and End Times Bible Prophesy Teachings

May 7, 2020

 Sources:

·        https://globalnews.ca/news/5488632/satanic-temple-canada/ - Rise of the Satanic Temple

·        https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/aug/15/hail-satan-are-satanists-now-the-good-guys-in-the-fight-against-the-evangelical-right

·        https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49392867

·        https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/01/new-age-beliefs-common-among-both-religious-and-nonreligious-americans/

Bible Prophesy: What Lies Ahead - 3rd Opening Address

By Darryl M., Crossroad of Truth Ministries

Proof the Bible is from God – The Jews

One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is to cast doubt in the minds of people that the Bible is the Word of God. Most people in this generation have never read even a single verse from the Bible, and they assume that its just an old book written by men. It’s incredible to think of how ignorant people have become. Who would be foolish enough to seek Spiritual guidance from any source other than the most widely read book in all of history, having had over 5 billion copies printed and having completely changed history, defining much of culture, art, music, Christmas, Easter, Laws and constitutions, moral standards and even the calendar itself. All of these things are all defined by Jesus Christ and the Bible. Before this current generation, even those who did not believe the truths contained in the Bible, still felt that it was unintelligent to remain in ignorance of the most famous of all writings.

As Christian believers, we know without a shadow of doubt that the Bible is God’s Word because we have been completely transformed by the supernatural teachings and power it contains, however, most people refuse to even consider looking at it. That is because Satan hates the Bible and is afraid of the Bible, since it is one of the only things that has the power to defeat him.

God calls the Words in the Bible “the Sword of the Spirit” (Eph.6:17), and the declares that all Scripture is “God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ) and is like a “hammer” and a “fire” (Jeremiah 23:29). Jesus says that “heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will be no means pass away” (Mark 13:31). Hebrews 4:12 says:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Down through the ages, people have always asked the question, “can you prove the Bible is actually God’s very words”? One of the most famous quotations of this question came from Frederick the Great of Prussia when he asked the court preacher for an unanswerable proof in one word of the inspiration of the Bible. His top adviser answered “Yes your majesty, the Jew”. Over 4,000 years ago God made a covenant with Abraham that He would make him the father of a great nation, He would give Abraham a land, and his descendants would be blessed. God gave Abraham’s grandson Jacob the benefit of the promises that he had made to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 28:13-14) and God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 32:28). The people who came from the families of Jacob’s 12 sons are called the 12 tribes of Israel. Today, we call them the Jewish people. Therefore, the Jewish people are God’s special people, (Deut. 7:6-8; Romans 11:26-27) and Abraham's descendants became proclaimers of the one true God. God commanded the Israelites to live apart from the other nations (God’s principle of “be ye separate” – 2 Cor. 6:17), and called the Jews His chosen people who would bless the nations of the world (Genesis 12:3). The fact the nation of Israel exists today is evidence of God’s unbreakable covenant with Abraham. The Almighty God declared that Israel “is the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8) and “the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it” Deuteronomy 11:12.

Satan has always tried to destroy the Jewish people, since God’s plan of redemption depended on a Messiah who would come through them to save the world from the devil’s bondage. Persecutions of the Jews began with the 400-year enslavement of the Hebrews by Pharaoh in Egypt and continued throughout history ever since. No nation has suffered as much as the Jews.

Since 70AD the Jews were driven out of their promised land and scattered among the nations of the world, exactly as Jesus said would happen. Over the centuries, there have been numerous attempts to exterminate the entire Jewish race for no explainable reason other than the fact that this is a spiritual war between Jesus and Satan.

As we discussed at length in the first class of this prophesy series, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70AD was one of the most important battles in world history, resulting in over 1 million Jews slaughtered, starved and crucified by Roman Emperor Nero, and the complete destruction of the sacred temple. But even after that event when the Jews were scattered among the nations of the world, the persecution did not stop. Only 65 years after 70AD another 580,000 Jews were slain by Hadrian. Then between 1000 – 1272 AD, England killed, robbed and eventually banished all Jews, culminating in the York Castle massacre and resulting in the banishment of Jews from England for the next 400 years.

In the 1300’s, France and Germany were even more cruel, robbing and expelling over 100,000 Jews from the land and committing unspeakable torture to thousands of Jews. In Strasburg, 2,000 Jews were fastened to an immense scaffold and the whole thing was set on fire. Then there was the Spanish Inquisition in 1400 which saw mass anti-Semitism and persecution.

In the last century, Hitler’s holocaust resulted in the murder of over 6 million Jews in WW2. But even the most cruel plot ever designed by Satan could not succeed against God’s chosen people, in fact quite the contrary. Hitler, like Babylon, Egypt, Greece and the Roman empire who all massively persecuted the Jews, have passed into the ashes of history, while the end result of WW2 was the greatest fulfilment of Bible prophesy yet, being the reinstatement of the nation of Israel in 1948 after 2,000 years. Bible prophesy teachers prior to 100 years ago who taught in faith that Israel would be restored as predicted, were often ridiculed at the very idea, since it seemed impossible. But just as Jesus predicted would happen in the end times, the Fig Tree (a symbol of Israel) blossomed once again (Mark 13:28-30). The impossible has been realized because God’s Word had to be fulfilled. What a privilege it is to be living in these last days to witness this fulfilled prophesy.

Never in recorded history has a nation group been banished from their homeland and continually persecuted to such an extent, only to return after 2,000 years. But even more miraculous is that somehow the Jews maintained their language, religion, culture, traditions, and even physical features and have now after only 72 years as a nation excelled beyond almost all others on a per capita basis. The Jews are leaders in business, education, technology, finance and military strength.

And remember, Jesus was a Jew. The Bible came from the Jews. The Apostles were Jews.

This my friends is why I say that anyone who wants evidence that the Bible is divine, need only look at the history of the Jews and Israel. How else, asides from God, can anyone explain the miraculous history and prosperity of the Jews despite all their social disadvantages?

Sadly, most people have no knowledge of history or the Bible, and incredibly, Israel is once again hated by most nations and antisemitism has grown to new heights once again as the Spiritual war rages on. President Trump, hailed by many Jews and Christians as the next King Cyrus, made history in 2017 when he moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, bringing the new Temple closer to being rebuilt, and he pledged military protection for the Jewish state.

Now if all this wasn’t enough to prove God’s Word is true, Jesus and the prophets foretold exactly all the things that have happened to both the Jews and their nation Israel: (1) that Jerusalem would be destroyed (Mark 13:1-2), (2) the Jews would be scattered among the nations of the world (Ezekiel 22:14-15; Hosea 3:4; Mark 13:2), (3) but most remarkably, the Jews would once again be regathered in the land God promised to Abraham in the end times, the nation of Israel (Luke 21:24; Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 23:3-8; Zechariah 10:8-10).

We as Christians should remember, when Jesus instituted the New Covenant at the Last Supper, this was the fulfilled prophesy of Jeremiah and Ezekiel of a new promise that God made with the Jewish people. Romans 11:11-27 explains that non-Jewish Christians (or Gentiles) are grafted into the olive tree (a symbol of Israel), but at the end of the Age, when the “time of the Gentiles is fulfilled”, Israel will come to faith in Jesus as their Messiah and “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26). Then Jesus will return to the earth with his Holy Angels and all the believers of past generations, to rule on David’s Throne and bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. What a glorious hope we have.

But what about the next phase of the end times and the relation of the Jews to the Antichrist? Will they receive him? Yes they will. The Bible tells us that one of the first things the Antichrist will do is make a covenant with Israel for 7 years. Isaiah 28:8 calls this “an agreement with hell”. The Bible clearly tells us that at the end of three and a half years the Antichrist will break this peace agreement, and cause daily sacrifices to cease. Jesus states that the Antichrist will fulfill the prophet Daniel’s “abomination of desolation”, by claiming to be god in the Holy of Holies of the rebuilt Jewish temple. He will demand to be worshiped and likely erect a statue of himself in the temple. Jesus says that this specific event will trigger the Great Tribulation and the last three and half years of earth’s existence.

Thank God as believers that Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will empower us to withstand whatever is necessary and that He will rapture His followers to the air at some point during this period. Halleluiah, the King is coming back soon!

By: Darryl M.

Crossroad of Truth, Online Bible Study and End Times Bible Prophesy Teachings

May 11, 2020

Bible Prophesy: What Lies Ahead - Opening Address #4

By Darryl M., Crossroad of Truth Ministries

Persecution – How Can Christians Endure it?

 Tonight’s teaching is one of the most difficult and spiritually sobering I have ever done. It comes with a heavy weight on my heart to present this message as I felt the Holy Spirit direct me. I realize, this is not the usual message that Christian’s hear in church, and it’s not a comfortable one. It is not my intent to scare people, but to prepare Christians for the difficult times ahead. I feel that I would be giving you a false sense of security if I didn’t teach what the Bible says about Christian persecution in order that you may obey Jesus’s commands in the end times to “Watch, Pray and be ready”.

The timing of the rapture is not the issue here. Whether the Rapture is pre-tribulation or late tribulation, this teaching is still relevant since God has promised that Christians must be prepared to endure suffering in the end times. People who don’t think God would allow Christians to suffer, simply haven’t been taught what the Bible says about tribulation and suffering and are unaware of church history over the past 2,000 years. Or they have been deceived due to prosperity preachers who avoid this topic. The real church has always produced Christian soldiers of martyr spirit, and that is sadly lacking in most Western churches today.

Why have over 50 million Christians throughout history chosen to not deny Christ and face a torturous death for their faith? Why was it that early Christians went to the lions singing hymns of praise, and many people who were burned at the stake spoke historic Spirit Filled words that we can read about still? How is that today, millions of Chinese, Nigerian, former Muslims and many others risk their lives and sacrifice their freedom to voluntarily choose to follow Jesus, knowing that death likely result? How did the martyrs find the supernatural courage and strength to seemingly defy human fear and pain to endure such a fate? How were they not afraid to die?

2 Timothy 1:10 says “Our Saviour, Jesus Christ…has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” The reason Jesus is so important to the world is because He brought mankind a great new hope – the hope of life beyond the grave. He robbed death of its sting and the grave of its victory (1 Cor. 15:55).

Until Jesus came, people died without hope. Death was feared and was the enemy. No other religion, philosopher or technology can provide hope after death and true immortality. Only Jesus was able to draw back the veil and let us see beyond the grave with confidence and certainty, because He had been there, Heaven was His home. Jesus told of a future life; a life of endless bliss and joy, a life where there would be no more pain. Never before had anyone heard of such a life. What a hope! What a deliverance! No rebirth into animals, no purgatory or dread of evil spirits, no suffering. Instead He promised Heaven, Paradise, the Father’s House with Many Mansions. A life with Christ in a place where there will be indescribable joy and peace.

This new life starts the moment the soul leaves the body (2 Cor. 6:8), and it last eternally. First with Christ in Paradise (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor 12:4), then the glorious Resurrection (1 Cor 15) when soul and body are reunited, and finally in God’s Heaven (Revelation 21).

No wonder so many Christian martyrs gave their bodies to be beaten, burned and imprisoned. They remembered that Jesus said “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)

What if you do face losing all of your possessions on earth? What if you face starvation, and people despising and hating you? What if you face separation from your family, life imprisonment and possible torture and death if you don’t deny Christ? Have you considered the cost of following Jesus and the real possibility of having to “take up your cross”?

If you’ve been disappointed, full of heart ache, fear, loneliness, pain and sorrow, like Lazarus, don’t worry, it won’t make any difference in the long run. This life is brief and it will all be made right in Eternity. Heaven will be yours soon.

It’s time to begin praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit to give you the strength, power and courage to be able to withstand this kind of promised persecution.

If you are presented with a choice to accept a mark (tattoo) on your right hand or forehead, that is identified with a man having a number of 666, and if this mark is required to buy and sell, then the Bible says you must reject it, even if it costs you unspeakable suffering and death.

Remember, we should not be worried about the present. This world is not our home, we are only pilgrims on a journey to heaven (Hebrews 11:13, 13:14; Phil. 3:20; John 15:19, 17:14-16). We must obey the Word of God and change our thinking from the present to the eternal.

There is no sorrow like that of separation from friends and loved ones, especially upon death. For the unbeliever, there is no hope in a future reunion or in heaven. There is only pain and loss.

But for Christians, we know the Truth, that Jesus Himself said “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die…” (John 11:25).  Then to climax it all, on the Cross Jesus makes a glorious promise to the repentant dying thief on the cross who chose to believe, saying “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). What a glorious hope we have, and for those who suffer for Jesus and His Word, great rewards will be received in Heaven.

Jesus Christ has invited everyone on earth to accept His offer of forgiveness for your sins if you just admit that you are sinner and believe that He is God who sacrificed His life on the Cross so that you may have His gift to you of eternal life. Who could reject such a glorious promise of Eternal life in heaven with the creator of the universe? Yet there are many who do reject it, unwilling to humble themselves to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and rejecting the Truth of the Bible, thinking somehow that they have found a better way, based on nothing but feelings or what the world tells them. Jesus says that the lake of fire will be their eternal destiny for rejecting Him. Let me plead with you now to accept Jesus, today is the day of Salvation.

By: Darryl M.

Crossroad of Truth, Online Bible Study and End Times Bible Prophesy Teachings

May 18, 2020