THE RESTORATION OF TEMPLE WORSHIP

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Revelation 11:1-2).

As revealed in the previous posting covering the previous chapter in this ongoing study of each chapter of the book of Revelation, the Apostle John has just eaten the opened scroll. Having received it from the hand of the mighty angel, John finds it to be sweet in his mouth and bitter in his stomach.

It is possible that John doubles over in pain because the angel, still standing with one foot upon the sea and the other on the earth, bids John to “rise” (verse 1). A measuring reed is given to the Apostle with the command to measure the temple, the altar and the worshippers. The Greek word used here for “temple” is ναὸν (naon), referring to a “holy place,” not ἱερόν (hieron), which would depict an elaborate temple with several rooms. It seems that this “temple” may be a modest tent for keeping the Ark of the Covenant. Such was the “tabernacle of David,” built to house the Ark until a permanent sanctuary could be constructed.

The prophet Amos predicted that the ruins of the old, time-worn “tabernacle of David” would be raised up in “that day.” According to Amos 5:18, the prophet was referring to events that would occur in “the day of the LORD.” Furthermore, he said that it should occur at a time when a great host of Gentiles will be identified with the name of the Lord. In the days of Amos, there were few Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel. However, today, multiplied millions of Gentiles are called “Christians.” Note also, Amos gives a reference to the “children of the Ethiopians” just four verses before he mentions the restoration of the tabernacle …

“Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen [Gentiles], which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this“(Amos 9:7,11,12).

The Ark in Ethiopia

According to the Kebra Nagast, a thirteenth-century Ethiopian manuscript, the Ark was carried into Ethiopia [circa 410 B.C.], and kept under a tent on the island of Tana Kirkos in Lake Tana for the next 700 years. In the third century, the Christian king of Ethiopia built the “Church of St. Mary of Zion” at Aksum, in which to enshrine the Ark. He removed the Ark from Kirkos Island and housed it in a special vault in the basement of the church.

If the tent in Ethiopia was the “tabernacle of David,” then we can understand why Amos referred to “breaches” and “ruins.” It would be a tent exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. The fact that Amos refers to “Ethiopians” just four verses before he tells us that God will “raise up the tabernacle of David” may be a clue to the historical whereabouts of the Ark and the “tabernacle of David.” Isaiah tells us that the Ethiopians will bring a “present” to the Temple Mount …

“Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion” (Isaiah 18:1,7).

The book of Zephaniah tells us that the Ethiopian Jews will bring an “offering:”

“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants [a multitude of worshippers], even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering” (Zephaniah 3:10).

From 1984 through 1991, Israel was involved in a mission to rescue Ethiopian Jews. It is possible that the Ark was returned during that time. In 1984, the Temple Institute in Jerusalem began construction of various implements that will be used in the future Temple. Most of the some 90 “tools” of the Temple have been completed – shofar trumpets, silver trumpets, musical instruments, garments for the priesthood, vessels for carrying blood, lots for choosing the sacrificial goat, a brazen laver, etc. A menorah lampstand has been prepared for gold plating, but the Ark of the Covenant has not been replicated. Around 1991, a spokesman for the Temple Institute said, in an interview on Israel Radio, that no Ark is planned because they expect the original to be retrieved.

It is at this point in the narrative where I feel that it is extremely important and interesting to point out the fact that back in the 1980s, J.R. Church discovered that the psalms seem to have been encoded with allusions to modern events that happened in the specific year according to the number of the psalm. Going back through modern history, one can see that this is the case. With this in mind, did Psalm 96 tell the story of 1996? Psalm 96 was sung by David on the day they brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. The year 1996 marked the 3,000th year since that event occurred. On September 4, 1995, Israel began celebrating that 3,000th anniversary of the Ark being brought up to Jerusalem and made it the Ark’s permanent home. Verse 8 of Psalm 96 gives an admonition to “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.” Was this offering none other than the Ark of the Covenant? Was the Ark brought back in 1996?

According to biblical prophecy from the book of Revelation, the Temple will be rebuilt with all of the necessary instruments of Temple worship for the Jews. This is an indicative prophecy of an end times scenario that Christianity watches for to reveal the lateness of the hour. The rebuilt temple will be where the approaching Antichrist will sit and commit the abomination of desolation spoken of in the prophetic book of Daniel. The Ark will necessarily have to be sitting inside this rebuilt third temple. It is interesting to note that concluding verse of this Psalm, verse 13, begins in the middle of a sentence. It is very rare for a bible verse to begin flatly in the middle of a sentence. The opening words of this verse begin as “Before the Lord.” It is worthy of note that this phrase has been isolated and broken apart from a sentence and set out in view so that it will be noticed. Psalm 96 certainly hints at and points to the year when the restoration of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem occurred.

Gentile Converts

Amos spoke of Gentiles, “which are called by my name.” Obviously, these are Christians. We know this because the Amos passage is quoted in the fifteenth chapter of Acts, during a council meeting at Jerusalem over the conversion of Gentiles. Simon Peter told about winning the Roman centurion, Cornelius; while Paul and Barnabas reported on the conversions of many Gentiles during their missionary journey. A dispute had arisen over the Apostle Paul’s simple Gospel message to the Gentiles. Pharisees in the church at Jerusalem had demanded that Paul’s converts be circumcised, thus the council was called to determine just what was actually needed to obtain salvation. Since the uncircumcised Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit in the presence of an astonished Peter, there was only one conclusion. Eternal salvation was obtained by faith alone, without the works of the Law.

James, the moderator of the council, cited the prophecy of Amos …

“Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things” (Acts 15:14-17).

Note that the raising of David’s Tabernacle is predicted to occur after the Dispensation of Gentile Christianity and in the days of the return of Christ. Although Amos did not specifically say this, James remarked that the prophecy is to be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Christ event …

“After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God” (15:16-19).

In July 2002, the Jerusalem Post conducted a poll in which some 53% of Israelies wanted to see the Temple rebuilt. Will the tabernacle of David be restored before or after the return of Christ? James seems to imply that Jesus would return and raise the old tent. Yet, John is told to measure the Temple in Revelation 11, before the actual Second Coming event in chapter 19. How can we reconcile this? Perhaps James was simply referring to the restoration of the Tabernacle as one of many events that Christ will cause to occur in the end time – events that will attend the return of Christ and not necessarily an event that must be accomplished after his return.

There is another problem that should be addressed. Amos said “That they may possess the remnant of Edom,” but James said, “That the residue of men might seek after the Lord.” How can we reconcile this difference in interpretation? First of all, it should be noted that Amos wrote in Hebrew, while James is quoted in Greek, and we are reading the English translations of both. So, do we have a problem with the King James Version? Where does the problem lie?

The difficulty with at least part of the interpretation lies in the fact that there is no English translation for the letters tahv (the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet) and aleph (the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet) הא. As we shall see below, the Greek translation understood it to be a reference to “the Lord.”

The Hebrew Translation

Five Hebrew words are used in the Amos passage. Note that the third or middle word consists of א aleph and ה tahv, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is the “Word of Cretion” for which there is no English translation. Jesus referred to himself as those first and last letters of the alphabet in the opening and concluding chapters of the book of Revelation. Here is the Hebrew text of Amos 9:12:

לְמַ֨עַן יִֽירְשׁ֜וּ אֶת שְׁאֵרִ֤ית אֱדוֹם֙

The first word לְמַ֨עַן is translated “so that.”
The second word יִֽירְשׁ֜וּ is translated “they may possess.”
The third word אֶת has no translations, but is rendered “Lord” in the English translation of the Greek Κύριον in Acts 15:17.
The fourth word שְׁאֵרִ֤ית is translated “the remnant of.”
The fifth word אֱדוֹם֙ is translated “Edom” in the KJV, but is rendered “men” in Acts 15:17 because the Hebrew spelling of Edom and Adam are the same.

The Greek Translation

Nine Greek words are used for the quoted passage in Acts 15:17:

 ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν Κύριον

The first word ὅπως is translated “so as.”
The second and third words ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν are translated “may seek.”
The fourth and fifth words οἱ κατάλοιποι are translated “the residue.”
The sixth and seventh words τῶν ἀνθρώπων are translated “of men.”
The eighth and ninth words τὸν Κύριον are translated as “the Lord.”

The Greek translation of the Amos passage on the “remnant possessing Edom” is shown as the “residue of men” [Adam] seeking the Lord.” The “remnant” or “residue of men” seems to be a reference to the returning Jews in the end time. Instead of “possessing,” they are “seeking.” Instead of possessing “Edom,” they are seeking the “Lord.”

This would be the natural outgrowth of raising the “tabernacle of David.” If the sanctuary is set up, it is only logical that the interpretation should refer to prayers being offered, rather than the concept of launching a military attack on southern Jordan (Edom).

David’s Tent

David constructed a tent to house the Ark of the Covenant until the Temple could be built. During those days, the Mosaic Tabernacle remained at the high place of Gibeon, about six miles northwest of the Temple Mount.

It seems that the Ark had not been returned to the Holy of Holies in the Mosaic Tabernacle after the Philistines had captured it. Instead, it was kept in the home of Abinadab for many years; then in the home of Obed Edom for three months; then in the “tabernacle of David” for several years while awaiting the construction of Solomon’s Temple. Once Solomon finished the Temple, the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies.

John Measures the Temple

Note that John is told to measure these things, yet no measurements are recorded. The only thing that we can determine from these verses is that there is a “court of the Gentiles” in the immediate area that was not to be measured. These are not the Gentiles “upon whom the name of the Lord is called.” These Gentiles are a profane people – the people who tread the city under foot for 42 months.

The “altar” in this passage likely refers to the Brazen Altar located outside the sanctuary, rather than the Incense Altar, which might be inside. Measuring the “worshipers” implies the immediate inner courtyard around the Brazen Altar.

John’s instruction to measure the Temple with a reed is similar to Ezekiel’s measurements. Ezekiel also uses a reed – a measuring rod “six cubits and a hand breadth” (Ezekiel 40:5) – about 11 feet long. Ezekiel records one measurement, in particular, that may help us to understand why John uses the Greek word ναὸν naon. Ezekiel explains that the “temple” he measured is a tent – a tabernacle …

“Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle” (Ezekiel 41:1).

Ezekiel measures a structure with “posts,” the width of which is twelve cubits – about 21 feet. A royal cubit in Bible days was 20.67 inches long. Ezekiel’s “tabernacle” may have been the featured centerpiece of an auditorium with seating for a congregation, unlike Solomon’s Temple, which had no seating. Ezekiel explains that the temple in his vision had three levels of “galleries” in the main sanctuary …

“The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered” (Ezekiel 41:16).

It appears that the ruins of the old Davidic tent could be set on display inside a building for protection from the elements. Earlier, Ezekiel had mentioned this “sanctuary” and its “tabernacle” …

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore” (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

Could the “sanctuary” refer to a new auditorium, built to exhibit the original “tabernacle of David?” Ezekiel also sees a wall built across the Temple Mount to separate the Jewish sanctuary from a “profane place.” He writes …

“Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place” (Ezekiel 42:15-20).

It appears that the Gentiles have established a “profane place” – an idolatrous shrine in the southern area of the Temple Mount, known in the days of Herod’s Temple compound as the “court of the Gentiles.” Since the Temple Mount is presently a center of contention and controversy between Israel and the Palestinians, one might consider that the “profane place” could be the Mosque of Omar.

It has stood there for 1,300 years. For centuries, rabbis have referred to the Dome of the Rock as “the abomination of desolation.” The reasoning behind this thinking is that anything that renders the Temple Mount inaccessible to Jewish worship has made the site “desolate” and is considered an abomination.

Ezekiel implies that the Mosque of Omar will be preserved on the holy site in spite of Jewish efforts to remove it. The Jews will be forced to relocate their sanctuary from the place where it ought to be, to a place where it “ought not” to be. Jesus said …

“But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains” (Mark 13:14).

“Where it ought not to be?” It is here that it becomes most interesting to note that an eyebrow-raising “incident” occurred on March 21, 2019 in which a photoshopped image of the Temple Mount, absent the iconic Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, was presented publicly. It was replaced with the Jewish third Temple and was accepted by U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman (supposedly inadvertently).

The Muslim Mosque replaced with the Jewish Third Temple? This has been long sought after by Jews. The gift was presented from an Israeli organization that aids children suffering from learning disabilities. This aerial photo was accepted during a tour of the city of Bnei Brak held by the ultra-Orthodox Achiya organization. As we know from Bible prophecy, the third Temple will be the very temple that the aforementioned Antichrist himself will sit in and commit the abomination of desolation act that will cause the Jews to flee the city as described in the prophetic book of Daniel. This may well have been a deliberate public signalling of the global Luciferian Elite’s plan for the future in which they will install the Antichrist in his position.

Ezekiel measured a platform 500 by 500 “reeds.” If the measurements were in “reeds” as the passage states, then Ezekiel’s temple would be cover an area of several square miles. I do not wish to contest the possibility of a measurement in reeds, but would simply point out that Solomon had built a platform that measured 500 by 500 cubits. That 500 square cubit platform still exists today, as pointed out by archaeologist Reen Ritmeyer. Perhaps, although Ezekiel’s use of a measuring “reed” is mentioned, the measurement itself was understood to be in cubits.

Restoring the Temple site is the ultimate dream of every religious Jew. As a very interesting and noteworthy side-note, it was revealed in previous posts that when observing the theme of all chapters of the book of Revelation, one will notice that the theme of each chapter matches and alludes to the theme and meaning of the corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet, thus displaying a hand of divine structure. Therefore, it is significant that John’s vision should be in this particular chapter (chapter 11), for it corresponds to the meaning of the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The Hebrew Letter בְ Kaf

As mentioned, the chapters in Revelation correspond to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and this chapter offers one of the best examples. The 11th letter is בְ kaf, the symbol of “crowning accomplishment.” There is no greater desire among the Jews than to rebuild their Temple. It is said that if a generation has the opportunity to rebuild the Temple and does not, it is as if that generation destroyed it again. This aptly describes the desire among them to see the Temple rebuilt.

Concerning the meaning of בְ kaf, there were said to be three crowns in the Temple: the crown atop the Ark of the Covenant alludes to the crown of Torah; the crown atop the Table of Shewbread alludes to the crown of kingship; and the crown atop the altar of Incense alludes to the crown of priesthood. Although the menorah did not have a crown, it alluded to the crown of a good name – the highest crown of all.

Though it will be a monumental task, restoring the Temple would be the “crowning accomplishment” of Jewish history.

Solomon’s Temple

The crowning glory of ancient Jerusalem was it’s Temple. Solomon built the Temple over the course of seven years. Some historians have listed it among the seven wonders of the ancient world. Pilgrims came from all nations to admire its architecture and worship the great Creator.

It is said that the pillar of cloud and fire that led Israel out of Egypt resided there. One could see the column of cloud ascending into the heavens above the Holy of Holies, but no amount of wind could bend its shaft.

Just before the Temple’s destruction in 587 B.C., Ezekiel reported seeing the glory leave the Temple, move to the Mount of Olives and ascend into Heaven …

“And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me” (Ezekiel 11:23-24).

That was the last time the glory was seen in Jerusalem. The Temple that was rebuilt by Ezra and Nehemiah was only was only a shadow of its former grandeur. The glory was gone. However, Ezekiel describes the return of the glory in chapter 43 …

“Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house” (Ezekiel 43:1-5).

It was the same glory that left the Temple in chapter 11, but this time, the glory was in the form of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Scripture reveals that his voice was like the noise of “many waters” and that the earth shined with his glory.

Ezekiel’s view covers the Second Coming of Christ, but their was a certain glory about his first coming as well. Herod the Great doubled the size of the Temple courtyard, and constructed a sanctuary that rivaled the architectural marvels of that day.

Though the nation was proud of their grand new Temple, it’s supernatural glory was not discernable. Instead, a baby was born in Bethlehem. He was brought to the Temple as an infant for consecration. He returned twelve years later to amaze the rabbis with his wisdom. In some mystical way, the glory had returned. However, the religious leaders of that Temple rejected the Savior when he was 33. He was condemned and crucified. Thirty-seven years later, the Romans burned Herod’s Temple to the ground. It has never been rebuilt.

For nearly 2,000 years, Israel’s great desire has been to rebuild the Temple. Their sages have never let the dream die it seems. The Temple institute have prepared the instruments for use in a restored temple. Several times a year, the Temple Mount faithful march around the area with a four-ton “cornerstone,” hoping to gain the permission of Israel’s government to begin construction on the Third Temple.

As we see in Revelation 11, the restoration of Temple liturgy will be Israel’s crowning accomplishment (kaf – בְ) after so many centuries without a central place for sacrificial worship. But they do not realize that the Messiah already came approximately 2,000 years ago and provided the ultimate sacrifice for the atonement of their souls – as he has all of mankind. It’s up to each individual to either accept it or reject it. Israel, by and large, has rejected it and remains in blindness to this very day as does much of the world. Their rejection of the true Messiah is the reason that they will re-institute the sacrificial system within this newly built and re-instituted third Temple whenever it gets built. It is for this reason that God is going to allow the abomination of desolation by the Antichrist to occur inside of this newly built third Temple. It will be an act of judgment by God upon them and the world for rejecting the true sacrificial atonement that God already provided in Christ. It is also for this reason that Jesus said that most of humanity will end up condemned and damned in the afterlife …

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

To be sure, there will be a great, great multitude of people in Heaven from the time of Adam to the end of the age, including those that live in the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ after the Tribulation has ended. In fact, the scripture reveals it to be so. But compared to the number of people who rejected God’s provision for their souls throughout the existence of the human race when it is all calculated, said and done, those people will be the minority of people. The majority of humanity will end up damned to destruction.

A sobering thought right? Want to escape this fate? See the section at the end of this article titled “THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN AND YOU.” God does require something from you in order to obtain this gift of escape from the broad road that most of humanity has, and continues, to walk down. But what he requires from you personally is not what you may be thinking. He does not require good works – in fact, that will be one of the easiest ways to condemnation. He does not require animal sacrifices in a temple … for that system from Old Testament days has been done away with and was a mere picture of the ultimate and final sacrifice given through Christ on the cross. Nor does he require a perfect life. There is only one thing he wants from you. Hopefully, your curiosity is ignited to want to continue reading to that all-important section.

THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

John is instructed not to measure “court which is without the Temple” (verse 2). Today, two Moslem mosques stand in that area. Is it possible that Islamic control over the Temple Mount will continue throughout the Tribulation Period after the Rapture event? Perhaps the United Nations will send troops to keep the peace between the Muslims and the Jews …

“But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Revelation 11:2).

The reference to Gentiles treading the city under foot may speak of the time when the Antichrist commits the “abomination of desolation.” The Apostle Paul tells us that the Antichrist will sit in the Temple, claiming to be God …

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

At the beginning of the Tribulation period, the Antichrist will strengthen the covenant, perhaps by military means. Important to note at this particular point, the Abraham Accords were just signed in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 – giving rise to some very well deserved and justified observation that this may well be the beginning stage of the creation of the covenant that the Antichrist will later strengthen in the Tribulation Period.

He will allow the Jews to build a wall of separation and erect a sanctuary on the northern half of the Temple Mount. However, in the midst of the seven-year Tribulation, he will stop the sacrifices and commit the “abomination of desolation.” Daniel sets the scene in the seventieth week …

“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” (Daniel 9:27).

Jesus specifically designated this occasion as the time when believers should leave the city and find sanctuary in the mountains …

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day” (Matthew 24:15-20).

From that point, the “Great” Tribulation (the second half of the seven year Tribulation Period) will set in. God’s judgment will be poured out upon an unbelieving human race. It is important to note that the “Great” Tribulation will last for three and a half years after the first three and a half years expires. For this reason, the next few chapters contain various ways of describing the time. The Gentiles will tread the city under foot for 42 months. The two witnesses will minister for 1,260 days, etc. The seven-year Tribulation is divided into two periods of three and a half years each.

There is no specific passage in the book of Revelation that gives the details of the “abomination of desolation.” However, one can see that this passage alludes to it by allowing a Jewish sanctuary to be established. There must be a place for Jewish worship in order for the Antichrist to commit the abomination. The mystical leviathan out of the sea will seize the opportunity to establish a world capital in Jerusalem. The beast out of the earth will make an image to the leviathan and demand a mark in the right hand or forehead of all men. All of this will come about as a direct result of the “abomination of desolation.”

THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN AND YOU: YOUR ESCAPE FROM THE APPROACHING TRIBULATION PERIOD

The demonstrably divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a coming horrendous seven-year Tribulation period of judgment upon Earth for all of mankind, no matter what your religion, belief or creed is, and even to those who don’t believe anything spiritual at all.  We can now clearly see the signs of this approaching nightmare.  However, as we’ve already seen, this same divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a dramatic escape from off the face of the earth before this horrendous time of judgment only to a certain category of people.  

Put simply, an event is coming that will be so stupendous that it strains the mind to contemplate such an event happening.  It is an event that will see millions upon millions of people across the globe suddenly disappear without warning.  The millions of disappeared will have literally ascended into Heaven itself after instantaneously receiving a new glorified body fit for Heaven.  A body that will be able to withstand the atmosphere and glory of Heaven.  This event is known as the “Rapture.”  But the promise of escape is only to those who are “born again” in Christ.  This is why it is crucial to understand what Christ meant when he declared in no uncertain terms that only those who are “born again” in him will enter the Kingdom of God.  For the explanation of this, keep reading below.

In order to accept the offer of God’s grace and his salvation, you must take the crucial three steps of …

1. Agreeing – A belief and agreeing with God in all that he says in his word, the Bible, about the fact that you are separated from God, as every man and woman on the face of the earth are before accepting his salvation.  The Bible reveals that all are separated from him in a spiritual state of death, or said another way that the Bible reveals it, in a state of sin, that will result in damnation in the afterlife.  Agreeing with God in your heart that you are in need of his salvation.  The Bible reveals that God looks upon the heart of a man or woman, and thus, responds accordingly to the person who comes to him for salvation in recognition of his inability to save himself.  The Bible makes these facts very clear – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  The Bible describes these three kinds of death:  

• physical death (the state experienced when life leaves our bodies).
• spiritual death (spiritual separation from God caused by our state of spiritual death inherited from the first man Adam – the state of sin that results in our daily outward acts of sin, whether deliberate or not, whether omissive or not; and finally …
• the second death (the fixed state entered into by the individual who dies physically while he or she is dead spiritually). This state is entered into after the death of the body which results in punishment in the afterlife until the event of the Great White Throne Judgment occurs wherein the damned are resurrected from Hades, or Hell, and are judged according to their works and finally destroyed and cease to exist after being cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 14 refers to this tragic end of the unsaved as the “Second Death” (verse 14). It is this state of suffering entered into after physical death and then final destruction at the Great White Throne Judgment in particular which is the horrible result of receiving the wages of sin (unforgiven due to unbelief and rejection of Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ frequently described such a death as being irrevocable in a destiny which he called Hell.  He described Hell as a literal place of judgment (Matthew 13:42); a place of everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8); a place of torment (Luke 16:24,28); a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50); a place of remorse (Mark 9:44-48); of bitter memory (Luke 16:25), and a place originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).  In fact, Jesus more often warned about Hell than he spoke about Heaven.

It is not God’s will or desire that any person should be consigned to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather that all should come to repentance of unbelief toward him and believe on him for the salvation of the individual’s soul.  But God’s justice requires that the “soul who sins” (remains in it’s state of death or state of sin) is the one who will die a second time after a long period of torment (Ezekiel 18:4).  So, agree with God, admitting that you are unable to save yourself and in a state of sin under God’s just condemnation for that sin and that you are in need of his salvation.

2. Believing – Then, believe that God does not want you to perish eternally in the torment of Hell because of your sin.  Believe that God loves you so much that he provided a way whereby he could still be a just, holy and righteous God, and yet pardon you.  Believe that God did not just overlook sin, but that he sent his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide salvation by personally paying the penalty for sin.  Believe that Jesus Christ, whose life, death, burial and resurrection is the best-attested fact of antiquity, did come to earth to live, die, rise again and ascend to Heaven in order to provide justification and salvation for all who trust him.  Believe that he, and he alone, can save you because he has fully satisfied the just demands of God.  Believe that you can’t become righteous in God’s sight by your own effort.  Believe that he wants to save you and that he will save you.  The Bible provides a solid basis for such belief …

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

“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.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). 

“But God demonstrates his love toward us in this:  while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). 

God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man or woman who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures … ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 

“Jesus answered, “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).  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out [drive away]” (John 6:37).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

3. Calling – It is not enough to agree with God, admit your need, and believe that Christ can and will save you.  You must act upon those facts. God’s requirement is that you repent of your unbelief toward him and actively call upon him for the salvation of your soul based on the fact that you cannot save yourself. It is unbelief in particular that damns the soul to its horrible fate …

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

You must be willing to completely turn from your own efforts to save yourself or from any other hope.  You must come to Christ, calling upon him for salvation and counting on the fact that he will do what he has promised.  This means simply taking the gift of pardon and eternal life which he offers.  Merely believing about Jesus Christ without coming to him makes as much sense and is as effective as believing that a medication can successfully treat a fatal disease, but failing to take it.  Yet again, the Bible emphatically and authoritatively provides the basis for such statements.

The word translated “believe” here means to “rest one’s entire weight and trust on the object or person in which the belief is placed.”  It requires action in keeping with the intellectual assent of that belief.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

” … but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The logical question you may be asking at this point is:  “how do I come to Christ and call upon him?”  The answer is that “calling upon the Lord” is just another term for praying, or talking to God.  To talk to God is not a complicated process, dependent upon some special rituals.  God has invited people to approach him through his Son in simple, straightforward terms.  In fact, Jesus approved of the dishonest, despised tax collector who simply prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”  While the exact words of your prayer to God are not of vital importance (since God sees and knows the attitude of your heart), the following is the kind of prayer that you could pray in calling upon God for salvation …

“Dear Lord Jesus:  I realize that I need you.  I admit that I have sinned and that I deserve your just, eternal punishment for that sin.  But I am sorry for my sin and I am turning to you and asking for forgiveness.  I believe that you died and rose again to pay sin’s penalty on my behalf.  I come to you and open my heart to you.  I ask you to come into my life, forgive me for all of my sin and make me your child.  I invite you to take control of my life and to cause me to be the kind of person you would have me to be.  I thank you for doing this because you have promised that whosoever calls upon you, as I am doing now, shall be saved.  I pray this in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, I urge you to sincerely and genuinely express it to God as your prayer.  The Bible makes clear that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, God forgives our sins and counts us righteous, and that when we openly confess with our mouth what we have done in our heart,  God gives us assurance of that salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

“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. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).

Recommended Reading

The ABRAHAM ACCORDS
COULD IT BE? DID THE WAR IN HEAVEN JUST BEGIN ON ROSH HASHANA?

The next article in this series can be read in the link below:
THE TWO WITNESSES: THE 42 CODE AND AMERICA’S 42ND PRESIDENCY

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