Hidden in Plain Sight

Ever read something more times than you can count and still not have it totally sink in? Consider this:

Luke {12:40} Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. [Jesus is the speaker.]

Matthew {24:36-39} But of that day and hour knoweth no [man,] no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [were,] so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [Jesus is the speaker.]

From this we see that Jesus’ return will be unexpected. That’s certainly clear enough, isn’t it? But all these years, I believe I missed a significant aspect of what the Lord was trying to convey. As a result, I always figured he would come back in the midst of a really bad time – perhaps during a year of major natural disasters or one of an unusual level of human conflict of some kind, such as during the Gulf wars. Of course, he still could, but recently I’ve begun to think that it might be more likely he’ll return in a time of relative calm.

Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a time of “apparent calm” only.

What is meant here is a time when things are seeming to be relatively tranquil on the surface but quite the opposite underneath. Think of it as the iceberg effect – it’s what’s under the surface that’s more likely to cause a shipwreck than the 10% sticking above the water. Think of it as a case where ignorance it not bliss and what you don’t know can hurt you!

Happy Days are (Almost) Here Again . . . or Are They?

Let’s take a look at the world of March 2021, the time this article was written.

The most obvious sign that we may be finally coming out of the very dark tunnel of Covid-19 which has cost many lives, livelihoods, and, worst of all, individual freedoms in nations that were considered democracies up until now. Maybe they still are, but in my mind, when any country or state is ruled by “Executive Orders” which have short-circuited their normal systems of checks and balances, they don’t seem much different than societies where autocratic rule has been Standard Operating Procedure all along.

With the advent of several vaccines in the past few weeks which are reportedly effective in reducing the transmission and symptoms of Covid, there is now gradual reduction in the restrictions that were placed on the people of the United States and other nations. Doing a quick Web search will give you plenty of examples too numerous to mention here.

Even President Biden alludes to a more “normal” time by July 4th of this year. In addition to his more hopeful pronouncements, there has been the passage of another economic package of direct cash to individuals, state and businesses which has no doubt lifted some of the gloom. Restaurants, hotels, theme parks and travel-based businesses are looking for a return to normalcy

I think this is all just the tip of that iceberg. Let’s see some of what’s lurking beneath the waves.

The Underlying Darkness

False Prophets

Matthew  {24:11} And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. [Jesus is the speaker.]

We are all aware of blatantly false prophets such as Joseph Smith, Sun Myung Moon, and Jim Jones but the most insidious of these are the ones who purport to be Christians and then deny the teaching and the authority of the Bible in the same breath. Perhaps the most prominent of all these days is Pope Francis’ recent pronouncements, two of which go in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches regarding belief in Jesus as the only means of salvation and human sexuality. So “over the top” have been his statements that even other prominent Roman Catholics have called him to task for them.

The pope is not the only one “going soft” on a lifestyle clearly denounced by not only the Bible but human physiology itself. Acceptance of this deviant sexual behavior is now growing across the world. Recently, he did say that the church would not bless same-sex marriages because it was “sinful.” Seems to me he can’t have it both ways.

Let’s see how this all ties in to our next topic.

Jesus said the last days would be like those of Noah and Lot.

Luke {17:26-30} And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. [Jesus is the speaker.]

What do we know about Noah’s era? Well, for one, we know that it was a time when the growth of evil on Earth was so bad that the only remedy left was for God to wash it all away and start over.

Genesis {6:11-13} The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Lot’s environment was more localized, but it, too, was so bad that it was necessary for God to totally destroy it (Genesis 18:16-19:23). It appears that among its many sins, the acceptance of homosexuality was particularly rampant and that conclusion can be inferred from these three passages:

Genesis {19:4-5} But before they lay down, the men of the city, [even] the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where [are] the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. [The term “know” here refers to having sex with Lot’s visitors.]

Deuteronomy{23:17} There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

1 Kings {14:24} And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 

Racial and Ethnic Strife

Matthew {24:7-10} For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. [Jesus is the speaker.]

The passage above applies not only to nations warring against nations, but includes increasing tensions between different ethnic groups. In America alone, racial tensions have reached the boiling point with rioting in the streets of many of our cities, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the 1960’s. To be fair, many of the grievances have merit and the United States has certainly not become the kind of society where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s  hope of a person being  judged by the content of his or her character rather than the color of his or her skin has come to pass.

In this era of Covid, Asians also have often been targets of attacks simply because the evidence is that this disease had its origins in China. Jews have also found incidents of anti-Semitism increasing not only in America, but across the world. the examples of racial hostility certainly don’t end here and tragically, it is an aspect of  something Jesus said would come to pass in the “beginning of sorrows” period which will precede the Tribulation:

Matthew{24:12} And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [Jesus is the speaker.]

This “dehumanizing” of humanity as it increasingly turns away from God is likewise addressed by Paul:

2 Timothy {3:2-5} For men shall be lovers of their own  selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Middle East Peace

After deciding to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, the Trump administration made unprecedented moves in the Middle East which have brought about a major thawing of the icy relations between Israel and its neighbors which are continuing today. Of course, Mr. Trump got little credit for it in the media. Nevertheless as a direct result of those efforts it appears that some of the Arab nations are becoming more receptive to the idea of a new Jewish Temple on the temple mount where the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque currently reside. The prophetical significance of these developments are monumental, as we shall see next.

Daniel {9:27} 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.

This requires a place for the offerings to be presented, most likely a rebuilt Jewish temple. Also notice that the peace and safety mentioned above won’t last because the Antichrist who initially “confirms” what might very well be a comprehensive Middle East Peace Treaty will break this accord half-way into its seven-year tenure.

We’ve now seen that what was once completely dismissed as impossible concerning a time of peace and the construction of a new temple is now more likely than ever. In fact, I believe both are a certainty, based on the Daniel passage above. There will be a comprehensive peace treaty and enough of the temple rebuilt to permit the restoration of the Mosaic sacrifices once again, all of which will be enabled and then scuttled by the world’s last and worst dictator.

Conclusion

At the time of this writing, it seems like a period of relative normalcy will soon ensue. Of course, Covid-19 could flare up again in the wake of loosening restrictions, but if the vaccines work as well as they are supposed to, it should only be a temporary setback. It’s also possible that some other emergency, either real or contrived, could drop in on us unexpectedly as well. Nevertheless, I think it is more likely than not that we’ll soon be entering a time analogous to one experienced when a hurricane makes a direct hit. There is first a gradual intensification as it approaches until the winds and rains are raging, then a precipitous drop-off as the eye passes over, followed by a return of storm conditions on the other side.

The Covid crisis has certainly given us the strong winds of the storm that I believe is already here. It’s subsequent diminishing may represent a short time of relative calm within its eye to be precipitously followed by even worse conditions on the other side, perhaps the start of the Tribulation, which in turn may be triggered by the sudden disappearance of millions instantly and inexplicably from the face of the Earth in the Rapture.

The “Coming Calm” may soon be here.

1 Thessalonians {5:1-6} But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.

References

 

Travel industry gearing up.

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-transportation/2020/05/05/hopeful-travel-industry-planning-for-return-787342

Pope Francis’ heretical views.

https://www.newsweek.com/archbishop-accuses-pope-heresy-over-legitimization-homosexuality1521825 : Archbishop Accuses Pope of Heresy Over ‘Legitimization of Homosexuality’

https://www.newsweek.com/pope-francis-denounced-heretic-and-accused-1412580 : Pope is a Heretic Because of Views on Homosexuality and Abortion, Catholic Group Says

Homosexuality gaining acceptance.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2020-06-25/lgbtq-acceptance-growing-in-us-and-other-countries-over-time

Racism.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/02/25/asian-hate-crime-attack-patrol/?arc404=true :Anti-Asian attacks: Chinatown patrols, guns and racial strife

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_incidents_of_civil_unrest_in_the_United_States: List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States

Seismic and volcanic activity increasing.

https://www.israel365news.com/187985/2021-on-track-to-become-record-breaking-year-of-major-earthquakes-volcanoes/: 2021 ON TRACK TO BECOME RECORD-BREAKING YEAR OF MAJOR EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANOES

Extreme weather.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/winter-storm-weather-live-updates-2-18-2021 LIVE UPDATES: Texas reeling from extreme winter weather as another major storm heads east

Tropical Cyclone Niran rapidly intensifies to Cat 5 in South Pacific

Persecution of Christians and the ADF which defends their rights.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/13/christian-persecution-rises-as-people-refused-aid-in-covid-crisis-report: Christian persecution rises as people refused aid in Covid crisis – report

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_Defending_Freedom : An organization which defends Christians  to freely proclaim and live out their beliefs.

Middle East Peace

https://nypost.com/2020/08/13/trump-announces-peace-deal-between-israel-united-arab-emirates/