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Are
we living in the last days
BEFORE
THE
GREAT TRIBULATION?
What
does the Bible Prophecy tell
us about the last days?
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Jesus
warned: "For
nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be
famines, and PESTILENCES, and
earthquakes, in divers places."
(Matthew 24:7 )
IN
THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES
SHALL COME
The
Bible says: "And I
looked, and behold a pale
horse: and his name that sat
upon him was Death, and Hell
followed with him. And
power was given unto them over
the fourth part of the earth,
to kill with sword (war), and
with hunger (famine), and with
death (tsunamis, war,
earthquakes, mudslides etc),
and with the beasts of the
earth (Mad Cow, Monkey Pox,
West Nile Virus, Sars)."
(Revelation 6:8 )
The
world is fearful - Everyone is
looking for answers.
Everything we hold dear is
falling apart! Are
we living in the end times,
the last days where the Bible
scriptures state that perilous
times shall come - are
these signs of the end of time
and the COMING Great
Tribulation?
ARE
WE SEEING SIGNS, SIGNALS &
WARNINGS PROPHESIED
IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ?
NATION
SHALL RISE AGAINST NATION,
FAMINES, PESTILENCE &
EARTHQUAKES
Jesus
warned: "For nation
shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be famines, and
PESTILENCES, and earthquakes,
in divers places."
(Matthew 24:7 kjv)
The
Bible says: "And I
looked, and behold a pale
horse: and his name that sat
upon him was Death, and Hell
followed with him. And
power was given unto them over
the fourth part of the earth,
to kill with sword (war), and
with hunger (famine), and with
death (tsunamis, war,
earthquakes, mudslides etc),
and with the beasts of the
earth (Mad Cow, Monkey Pox,
West Nile Virus, Sars."
(Revelation 6:8 )
THE
WORLD IS AFRAID - PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING
FOR ANSWERS
The
world has become a very
frightening place, indeed!
People are afraid. They are
nervous and anxious and full
of fear. We are now
living in a very unsafe
world. We are living in
a world filled with violence,
terrorism, wars, frightening
new diseases and viruses and
startling weather disasters
that are wiping out thousands
of people in seconds.
On
September 11 - the world
changed forever. On
September 11 - Satan was
rejoicing. On September
11 - Satan scored a victory.
But I am here to tell you that
SATAN CAN BE DEFEATED.
OUR
WORLD CHANGED SEPTEMBER
11 - WE LIVE IN
A WORLD OF TERROR
Yes
- the world changed
drastically on September 11.
What was a relatively safe,
comfortable existence
instantly turned into a world
of terror. The Islamic
terrorist group al Qaeda and
its leader Osama bin Laden
accomplished A HELLISH DEED on
September 11. The
terrorists took away our
freedom, the freedom to feel
safe, the freedom to feel
secure.
And
September 11 was only the
beginning. The world is
dealing with so many issues
that its hard for people to
cope.
THE
WORLD IS FALLING APART - How
long will it last? Are we
living in the last days.
Are these the end times before
the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ?
EARTHQUAKES
- TSUNAMIS - GLOBAL WARNING
-
DISEASES - VIRUSES
Our
world is falling apart.
Our air is polluted, our water
is polluted, we are
experiencing earthquakes,
tidal waves, tsunamis in
totally unexpected places and
at the greatest magnitudes
ever recorded. Global
warming is threatening our
very existence and the new
diseases and viruses we are
seeing in animals and food
products are alarming.
"WHAT
COMES NEXT?" IS THE
QUESTION ON THE
MINDS OF PEOPLE!
The
whole creation, including the
earth and all living creatures
therein, the cosmos and all
universes that our Lord has
created, are groaning and
travailing in pain and travail
"together until
now."
The
earth is "running
down".. Man has
polluted the air, polluted the
water and the earth. The
earth is polluting and
destroying itself through
earthquakes, tidal waves,
tsunamis and volcanic
eruptions.
NATURE,
through solar storms, falling
meteors, black holes, white
holes and worm holes is doing
damage to the universe.
Tornados, cyclones, tsunamis
and severe electrical storms
cause great bodily harm and
death to people and animals,
as well as destroying millions
of acres of timber annually
through forest fire. The
animals and wild life are
themselves polluters,
spreading disease amongst
themselves, as well as being
purveyors of many deadly
diseases to the human
population.
ARE
AIDS, SARS, MAD COW DISEASE,
BIRD FLU LAST DAYS,
END TIME BIBLE PROPHECY
?
What
does the Bible say about
plagues, diseases, disasters
that will come in the end
times before the Great
Tribulation?
I
believe that the outbreak of
AIDS, SARS, Ebola virus, Lyme
disease, Mad Cow disease (BSE),
Foot and Mouth disease (FDM),
West Nile Virus, Hanta Virus,
Monkey Pox and the latent TB
and drug resistant TB that is
now rampant (2 billion world
wide) is surely Bible prophecy
being fulfilled.
There
are also so many new viruses,
bacteria and parasites spread
by animals, rodents and pests
to human beings. Are
these new viruses from animals
also a precursor to the awful
things which will happen
during the GREAT TRIBULATION.
NEW
VIRUSES APPEARING AT FASTER
RATES,
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE
A
recent headline that appeared
(August 2003) in the
Washington Post, must have
sent shock waves through the
Medical Community and the
general population. From
a theological perspective, the
connection between Biblical
eschatology and the phenomenal
parade of new emerging viruses
being passed from animals to
humans, this new report is
very significant.
IS
END TIMES BIBLE PROPHECY BEING
FULFILLED RIGHT NOW
Is
Bible prophecy being fulfilled
right now with the massive
earthquakes, the Sri Lanka
Tsunami, terrorist attacks,
the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan
and continuing unrest in the
Middle East?
Are
the new diseases Sars, Mad Cow
Disease, West Nile Virus, Bird
flu and many others biblical
prophecies. Are these
world disasters, extreme
weather changes, world
disasters and mounting hatred,
wars and nations turning
against nations world wide
Bible prophecy coming to pass.
The
Bible states: "And I
looked, and behold a pale
horse: and his name that sat
upon him was Death, and Hell
followed with him. And
power was given unto them over
the fourth part of the earth,
to kill with sword (war), and
with hunger (famine), and with
death (tsunamis, war,
earthquakes, mudslides etc),
and with the beasts of the
earth (Mad Cow, Monkey Pox,
West Nile Virus, Sars.")
(Revelation 6:8)
For
a very long time Bible
scholars were unable to
understand this verse.
Everyone had serious questions
about beasts being a source of
so many people dying.
When S.A.R.S. struck the world
with a vengeance a few years
ago, the meaning of the
scripture became very evident.
St. John's prophecy was so
absolutely clear!
THE
BIBLE SCHOLARS CONVENTIONAL
WISDOM WAS WRONG
The
prevalent though was that when
famine came, the wild beasts
from the forests would enter
the cities and towns and kill
people for food. Some
translations of Revelation 6:8
placed the words 'wild
beasts' in their study
notes.
Now
we know how wrong that
interpretation was.
God's Word is absolutely
perfect and as we near the end
of time. As a theologian who
has studied the Holy Bible
scriptures for over 40 years I
believe this to be
pre-Tribulation more and more
as the truth in revealed
through events that happen
round about us.
In
my research, I found found
that SARS, Lyme Disease, Foot
& Mouth disease, Mad Cow
disease, Hanta virus, Monkey
pox, Ebola virus, Aids and
West Nile Fever are diseases
that have all come from
animals (beasts) or rodents
and insects (pests).
Jesus warned: "For
nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be
famines, and PESTILENCES, and
earthquakes, in divers
places." (Matthew 24:7).
STRANGE
& FRIGHTENING NEW VIRUSES
AND INFECTIONS APPEARING
Rob
Stein wrote: "It happens
again and again. Strange
and frightening new infections
seem to appear out of no
where, such as Lyme disease,
Ebola and of course, AIDS.
With Monkeypox coming on the
heels of Sars, which emerged
not long after West Nile, it
is a phenomenon that seems to
be happening at an
accelerating rate.
"Scientists
agree that the trend is
alarming and appears to be
gathering speed. In the
coming years, they say,
dangerous new pathogens
emerging."
WE
ARE SURROUNDED BY DEATH AND
DESTRUCTION - THE WORLD HAS
BECOME UNCERTAIN & FEARFUL
On
every hand, we see death and
destruction. The Bible
states that, "the
whole world lieth in
wickedness." (1
John 5:19); "And the
world passeth away and the
lust thereof, but he that
doeth the will of God abideth
forever." (1 John
2:15-18)
Not
only they, by OURSELVES also,
which have the first fruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, that
is to say, the redemption
(resurrection) of our
body."
SATAN
IS HARD AT WORK - SATAN IS
AWARE WE ARE NEARING THE
END TIMES
SATAN'S
FILTH & STENCH can be
seen, heard and felt across
the world. His evil,
unholy and corrupting
influence is everywhere
present; in homes, communities
and nations, as well as in
academia, the government,
commerce, judicial systems and
in the church.
Satan
is hard at work as he knows
that he is running out of
time. Satan's influence
is present everywhere as he
seeks to kill and to destroy.
The
truth is that the whole world
lies in wickedness and Satan
is the "prince of the
power of the air."
Satan is the author of the
"spirit of
disobedience" that
pervades society today.
This "spirit of
disobedience" is
affecting millions of people
across the earth. (Ephesians
2:2, Ephesians 5:6,
Colossians 3:6)
Even
though we as Christians are
filled with the Holy Spirit
and have fellowship with Jesus
and each other, we live in a
flesh and blood body. We
are constantly being bombarded
with temptations. We
have Christ's promise of
divine healing, but we are
still subject to ageing and
death.
St.
Paul states that we groan
inwardly because of our
limitations and desire to be
clothed with a glorified body,
knowing that one day we will
be changed and receive a
glorified body similar to
Christ's. The Bible
says: "Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of
God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it
knew Him not."
"Beloved,
now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be: but we know
that, when He shall appear, we
shall be like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is."
(1 John 3:1-2).
Death
and corruption have been
present on this earth and in
the cosmos since the terrible
'fall of man' in the Garden of
Eden. Everything is
subject to the 'Second Law of
Thermodynamics' - that of
ageing, deteriorating and
corruption. There is no
escaping it. Everyone
that is born dies eventually
and will go back to the dust
of the earth. All great
men and their empires, small
or great will deteriorate and
go to ruin. Now the
universe is running out of
steam and Bible Prophecy is
being fulfilled and will
continue to be fulfilled as
time goes on.
JESUS
demanded: “…Whosever will
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For
whosoever will save his life
shall lose it; but whosoever
shall lose his life for My
sake and the gospel’s the
same shall save it."
"For
what shall it profit a man if
he shall gain the whole world,
but lose his own soul?
Whatsoever therefore shall be
ashamed of Me and My words in
this adulterous and sinful
generation, of him also shall
the Son of Man be ashamed,
when He cometh in the glory of
His Father with the Holy
angels." (Mark 8:34-38
KJV).
Christ’s
Victory and Satan’s Defeat
is our
Liberty
for
time and eternity! Amen and
Amen.
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BIBLE
SCRIPTURES / VERSES ON
TRIBULATION
Deuteronomy
4:30 - 35
"When
thou art in tribulation, and
all these things are come
upon thee, even in the
latter days, if thou turn to
the Lord thy God, and shalt
be obedient unto his voice;
(For
the Lord thy God is a
merciful God;) he will not
forsake thee, since the day
that God created man upon
the earth, and ask from the
one side of heaven as this
great thing is, or hath been
heard like it:
Did
ever people hear the voice
of God speaking out of the
midst of the fire, as thou
hast heard, and live?
Or
hath God assayed to go and
take him a nation from the
midst of another nation, by
temptations, by signs, and
by wonders, and by war, and
by a mighty hand, and by a
stretched-out arm, and by
great terrors, according to
all that the Lord your God
did for you in Egypt before
your eyes?
Unto
thee it was shewed, that
thou mightest know that the
Lord he is God: there is
none else beside him."
JUDGES
10:14
"Go
and cry unto the gods which
ye have chosen; let them
deliver you in the time of
your tribulation."
MATTHEW
13:21
Yet
hath he not root in himself,
but dureth for a while: for
when tribulation or
persecution ariseth because
of the word, by and by he is
offended.
JOHN
16: 33
"These
things, I have spoken unto
you that in me ye might have
peace. "In the
world ye shall have
tribulation, but be of good
cheer: I have overcome
the world."
ROMANS
5:3-66
"And
not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also; know that
tribulation worketh
patience;
And
patience, experience; and
experience, hope, And
hope maketh not ashamed:
because the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost which is
given unto us,"
EPHESIANS
3:13
Wherefore
I desire that ye faint not
at my tribulations for you,
which is your glory
2
CORINTHIANS 1:4
Who
comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be
able to comfort them which
are in any trouble by the
comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted by
God
2
CORINTHIANS 7:4
Great
is my boldness of speech
toward you, great is my
glorying of you: I am filled
with comfort, I am exceeding
joyful in all our
tribulation
REVELATION
7:14
And
I say unto him, Sir, thou
knowest. And he said
to me, These are they which
same out of the great
tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them
white in the blood of the
Lamb.
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