Author’s note: I am amazed at the Lord’s omniscient consistency in managing humanity—now in a fallen state—keeping all things within the boundaries of His holy will.
By that I mean that no matter how people try to go in directions prophetically prescribed, God’s Holy Word is validated as absolute truth.
This week’s commentary was initially posted January 1, 2018. My thinking at the time was that now things were lining up precisely as I had believed them to align. Luke 17: 28-30–as many readers know—is the prophecy by Jesus Himself that I am convicted is the most important for this end-of-the-age moment.
Then, over the following years, with the Trump 2020 loss, all seemed to come completely apart with the direction things went as the world grew darker and “business as usual” seemed no longer in view.
But here we are at the beginning of the year 2025 and things seem suddenly back on the heavenly course I believe Jesus gave for this time so near His calling His Bride, the Church, into His presence.
I am amazed! But should not be…
Unheralded Prophecy in View
We’ve been over it before in this column. However, things are shaping so rapidly it again needs our attention. Prophecy watchmen on the wall should pay close attention.
The seminaries consistently ignore this prophetic indicator altogether. Or they steadfastly say it is to be applied to Jews alive during the Tribulation. It is not for the Church.
I say–and have done so for years–that the prophecy is specifically for our time–that is, the Age of Grace. I’m referring to Jesus’ foretelling of the time of His next intervention into the affairs of humankind. He described those days as being like the days of Noah and the days of Lot.
The prophecy involved is so important for us to consider as this new year begins that we will include it here it in its entirety.
In the Matthew Olivet Discourse account, the Lord says no one can know the day or hour of His coming. He next informs of what this time will be like and what to look for in being watchmen.
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. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (Matthew 24:36-42)
Jesus further expands in the Luke account:
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. (Luke 17:26-30)
We have looked numerous times at these words of Christ. We’ve noted that the time of which He spoke in prophesying these matters could not be the time of His Second Advent. The world will be almost totally destroyed when Armageddon is raging. Perhaps as much as three-fourths of the earth’s population will have died as a result of God’s wrath and Satan’s evil through the Antichrist’s reign. it will not be business as usual.
This prophecy about Christ’s “revealing” indicates plainly that it will be a time of buying, selling, marrying, planting–all of the activities that indicate business as usual. I maintain that because Christ doesn’t emphasize things that are mundane; He was talking here about a time when business was much better than usual.
As long as five years ago, we expressed in this Nearing Midnight column our belief that it would be a time of economic boom, not bust, that would mark when the Rapture of the Church would occur. It would be the “think-not” time because the world, economically speaking, would be doing quite well.
Of course, not all the world is doing well at present, economically or in any other way. This has always been the case. The poor will always be with us, the Lord, Himself, told us.
However, for the part of the world where economies have the capability to thrive, the world, Jesus said in this prophecy, will be doing quite well at the time He is next “revealed.”
Almost every economic indicator is moving upward in America at this moment. This nation is the economic engine for the rest of the world. The better the US does, economically speaking, the better the other nations who have the capability to thrive will do.
I’m dumbfounded at the fact that the true, Bible-teaching seminaries of America see this prophecy as being only for the Jews of the Tribulation. It seems to be a blindness they suffer.
However, I do know why the tremendous economic potential that has burst onto the scene is unheralded by the mainstream news media. They hate Donald Trump, plain and simple.
Now, I’m not so foolish as to think that the economic upswing is one built on sound economic principles. We are in a tremendous financial bubble that continues to grow by the hour. At some point it is going to burst. It simply defies the fiscal laws for it to continue without imploding.
However, it will not come to that point of implosion, I’m of the belief, until the Lord says so. He is allowing it to move exactly toward the prophetic point the Lord Jesus foretold in the above scriptural accounts.
As I’ve expressed many times, this president is God’s chosen man for this hour, a builder, an entrepreneur extraordinaire. But, the mainstream news prevaricators refuse to report the tremendous economic growth the nation is experiencing. To do so would move in the opposite direction of trying to bring America down so that the globalists can usurp its wealth and power to construct the world order they wish to establish. They want desperately to destroy this president’s efforts to restore the United States to its former, leading status.
Antichrist’s global platform will be constructed, I believe, when the Rapture occurs and this phenomenal economic bubble explodes and comes down around the ears of an unsuspecting world.
The year 2018 could be the time. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
***********
No, but perhaps today! the year is now 2025. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Terry James Prophecy Line 
Yesterday while having coffee with a friend after church, I was recounting to him your comments on these verses in Luke. (My friend only gets a dose of prophecy and updates when we meet.) He wanted to talk about his daughter, who is considering buying a house. The words “buying and selling, building and planting” came immediately to mind.
I reviewed with him some of the things that were discussed at the conference in Branson, and included the newest iteration of Google’s AI program-Willow-and its implications for humanity. I explained how all the biblical signs are converging (and then some.) I also told him about the Deagel Report which has been heavy on my mind the past month or so.
This ‘internal’ report is comprised from a clandestine organization made up of various CIA affiliates and the UN. Clearly, it was not created by the powers of light, but of darkness.
The now infamous report, issued in 2014, and regularly updated since then (until 2020 when the world took notice and they tried to scrub it from the internet) projects western nations will experience anywhere from 50-80% in total population reduction in 2025. Not by 2025…IN 2025. The USA specifically is projected to go from 330,000,00 to about 67,000,000 people. The eastern countries experience comparatively low population reductions…hmmmm.
My Bible tells me that if this is accurate, the reduction could be partially attributable to the Rapture of the Church. I say partially because I don’t believe we have 263,000,000 true, born again Christians in the USA today. However, the Rapture will bring rapid, and massive mortality, to the unsaved people in our nation, through multiple calamities, and by war.
Satan knows precisely every date and event in human history. Things that are clouded or obscured from our vision he knows perfectly well, because he has been present for all of it. He doesn’t know the day or hour of the Lord’s call to us, any more than we do, but he can make a far more accurate ‘guesstimate’ than we can. (Satan, for all of his myriad flaws, is still a truly brilliant being, and underestimating his intelligence-in comparison to our own-is a mistake.) He must be very excited to see how much rope God has given him over the past 50 years…much more so in this last decade. He knows his appointed time to do his worst is very near, and, by grace and God’s revelation, so do we.
The conversation my friend and I had went on for almost 3 hours. Needless to say, the circumstances of our present times makes the home buying and selling decision process ‘complicated.’ Ultimately, I recommended my friend tell his daughter to do whatever seems right to her (BTW she is not a Believer-yet.) We must carry on with our lives and occupy until He comes
In my heart, I expect 2025 is going to be the year of the most glorious of celebrations for Believers, and it is going to be a disaster for those who are not yet saved in Jesus, when the trumpet calls us up.
Keep the faith, remember to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6), and to share the gospel:
The Full Armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-20
10-Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11-Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12-For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13-Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. 14-Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, 15-and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. 16-In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17-And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18-Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. 19-Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20-for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.
This is our hour of testing. May we all continue to restrain evil and shine for Jesus in this broken world.
Maranatha!
Amen!
At the risk of being repetitious, I’ll say again that you have a definite gift! I, too, think 2025 could be “the year” we finally get that upward call. One of the things that makes me say so is that I expect a period of limited calming after the ouster of the Wokester Mob in D.C. Now, I have no illusions these people will let this go unchallenged. You can bet they will be at it behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, the “business as usual” scenario will be much much the case, at least for a little while, leading to a sense of complacency, even among many believers. At least while Biden & Company were dragging America toward the edge of the cliff, we were all on alert.
If believers are wise, then they will all be even more vigilant now and expectant of Jesus’ soon return.
See you soon, Robin.
Next year in New Jerusalem!
God bless.
Thank you kindly Ed, I just relay what I see.
And to clarify, I do not in any way believe the Deagle Report, or anything outside of the Bible, is on par with scripture. But it has become clear over the years, to me at least, that Satan is clever in his schemes and he often shows his hand in advance. (Perhaps he thinks this will be some kind of ‘defense’ when he is called before the Lord to account for his multitude of sins.)
Every single looming threat of destruction is merely another signpost to our soon departure. The world trembles in fear, while we, those who are watching and longing for our Master’s return, are trembling in anticipation.
Yes, see you soon in that great coffeehouse in the air. (Heaven’s coffee is going to be fantastic!)
In Christ, Robin
Have to have New Haven style pizza there, too!
Coffee and cinnamon rolls for desert.
And that’s just for starters!
Happy New Year!
And no counting calories…THAT would be Heaven, haha!
Yep, there’s that, too.
No more watching out for sodium, either, or taking pills . . . . .
Or being on this world at it spirals in . . . now won’t THAT be something!!
I feel like God showed us the prophesied depravity of the times via the last four years so that we might know that things are indeed as in the days of Noah and Lot. I also believe that these coming Trump years (that are already flourishing), show us the business-as-usual prophecy. Showing us how the times can simultaneously be highly immoral and business-as-usual. I hugely appreciate your wise words. My eyes are open, and I am sitting on that wall because God has blessed me with access to your, and others’ writings. Thank you for all of your hard work.
Exactly as the days of Noah and Lot must have been – business as usual where evil was not only accepted but praised.
This year in New Jerusalem!
This does not seem to jive with business as usual:
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 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: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”- Revelation 6:15-17.
Nor does this:
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days”- James 5:1-3.
It was not business as usual for Noah or Lot’s Day for the whole world was filled with violence and depravity. I believe there is another meaning applied to these prophetic texts. In Noah’s Day for example the Sons of God or fallen angels took wives of the daughters of men as many as they chose. The celebratory tone here in these passages of eating and drinking, buying and selling, and marrying and given in marraige seem to suggest a worship system being in place. The ancient world identified these fallen angels and their giant offspring as gods. I believe it is possible that this is the meaning.
I think the world then as now is filled with blatant moral corruption (violence and depravity). Our heavenly Father shined a light on us being in that condition. First during the Obama years, (sending Christians to their knees praying for our country), with evil ramping up unbelievably during Biden’s reign. Biden’s reign took away any confidence in the economy, safety, government as our world was filled with violence and depravity.
With Trump’s election win, people will feel (already are) that everything is going well, business as usual, while we are still filled with violence and depravity. They will let their guard down again. All are looking forward to the return to “business as usual” (aka sanity).
During Biden’s reign, people were again crying out to God as all semblance of morality outshined basic decently.
The horror of Obama and the democrat’s assumption that Hillary would be next in office, got us praying for our nation that had nearly grown unrecognizable. Trump’s 2016 win was a reprieve… and people lapsed right back to not looking to God again, ushering in 2020’s Mega-Obama (aka Biden) election win, and we went lower and lower into the toilet, which returned the people back to their knees. Now, confident that everything is coming up roses with Trump back in office, people are getting up from their knees again and looking at the world to fix all. Depravity and business as usual coexisting as they did in the days of Noah and Lot.
You are right, people have the memories of a tsetse fly when it comes to averting disaster. We beg God to rescue us and when He does, by His merciful grace and love, we quickly return to our own depravity and forget all He has done.
This is the history of humanity…clearly displayed in the Old Testament, over and over again. Such is the state of fallen mankind as a result of sin.
If not for Jesus, there would be zero hope for any us. But God…
The worse it gets, the closer we are to going home.
Maranatha!
Robin,
My Bible shows a clear increase of depravity and open rebellion against God for the Last Days. Those expecting a reprieve based on change of political leadership fail to examine the world around them and the Word of God.
I personally expect no pause in societal decay for it is evident the Church in the West grows increasingly weakened. The influence of the Church in society began to crumble decades ago. Many Churches in the West are now just businesses with coffee shops, book stores, and banquet halls.
Christendom in the West today embraces a hybrid worship of political and the military-industrial complex rivaling that of the Roman Empire. The lukewarmness of the Church of Laodicea is visible everywhere. This cascade of depravity of both secular society and the Church, will continue to push forward even more with President Donald Trump of that we can be sure.
I agree with you entirely Rodney. At my church this morning I was speaking with a new visitor from another local church. He was excited to hear the message given by my pastor because it glorified God, and called for the repentance of sin…followed by the gospel message. He said the church he has been attending for the past 2 years had only given the gospel one time (seeker sensitive by his description of it!) I believe there are many like him, who are very hungry for the whole truth of the Bible.
It is a tremendous blessing to have a solid, Bible-based church to belong to in our times. BTW, we don’t have a coffee shop, or a bookstore, and we only sing 3 worship songs to start the service…all that are rooted in glorifying the Trinity…with no smoke, rock music (Bethel/Hillsong etc) , or special effects. The lights are fully on during the sermon, and my pastor never, ever asks for money. Like I said it is a blessing.
There are churches (in the minority) like mine still alive today, and many are growing. Especially in these last days, true Believers want to hear the Truth, surrounded by others who want to know, and grow, in Jesus Christ.
Maranatha!
Amen Robin,
You are indeed blessed to have such a solid Church with an environment for spiritual growth. The Lord will always lead us to such remnant Churches knowing our desire for like minded fellowship. They may be few but their impact is great!
God bless,
Rodney