5-27-20 At Hand
At Hand :: By Daymond Duck
A reader recently e-mailed me Hal Lindsey’s quote, “The coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8).
This great prophecy teacher pointed out that “at hand” does not mean that the Rapture would happen in the next few years (although it could have).
“At hand” means the Rapture will happen at any time and without warning.
“At hand” is an admonition for everyone in every generation to be ready to go at any moment, all the time.
There is a lot of misunderstanding about this issue.
God told Adam if he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die in that day (Gen. 2:17).
Adam ate the fruit, but he did not die within 24 hours; he died when he was 930 years old (Gen.5:5).
1,000 years in man’s eyes are like one day to God (Psa. 90:4; II Pet. 3:8).
Some Christians believe that “last days” sometimes refers to days 5, 6 and 7 of a 7,000 year cycle (two 1,000-year God-days called the Church Age and one 1,000-year God-day called the Millennium (Heb. 1:1-2; I Pet. 1:20; James 5:3; II Pet. 3:3).
The first 4 God-days (4,000 years; equivalent to our Sun., Mon., Tue. and Wed.) ran from Adam to the first coming of Jesus.
The last 3 God-days (last 3,000 years; 2 days of Church Age and 1 day of rest called the Millennium; equivalent to our Thur., Fri. and Sat.) run from the first coming of Jesus to the end of the millennium.
Don’t forget that Peter called the beginning of the Church on Pentecost the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of the last days (Acts 2:16-18).
Days 5 and 6 (two 1,000-year God-days) began when the Holy Spirit was “poured out” on Pentecost (Acts 2:17), and they will end when the Holy Spirit is “taken out” of the way at the Rapture of the Church (II Thess. 2:7).
It is debatable, but according to Catholic tradition, Jesus was crucified and the Church began in 30 A.D. (others say 30-33 A.D.).
Now, take note of the fact that the UN goal of a world government by 2030 is exactly 2,000 years or two God-days from the possible beginning of the Church.
Below are more reasons to believe that the Church could be in the last hours of the Church Age (last hours of the last days on God’s clock).
One, concerning tracking everyone, a new bill called the “Covid-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act has passed and been signed.
TRACE originated in the House of Representatives and, for some strange reason, it is numbered H.R. 6666.
H.R. 6666 appropriates $100 billion to trace and monitor people that have come in contact with someone that has (or has had) the Coronavirus, plus it hints at more money for future use (monitoring that could extend into the Tribulation Period).
Monitoring includes mobile testing stations; visiting people in their homes, if necessary; requiring (forcing) people to be tested for the Coronavirus; and “other purposes” (a phrase with ominous overtones).
This is more evidence that the Mark of the Beast prophecy is literal, and the Tribulation Period could be close.
Two, in mid-May 2020, the Mayor of Los Angeles, Cal., said he intends to send city employees and volunteers to visit defiant businesses that are open and urge them to voluntarily close.
People that refuse to voluntarily close will have their water and electricity shut off (city will not sell, and businesses will not be allowed to buy water and electricity).
FYI: For more details on these first two items, listen to the message by J.D. Farag at this link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPvghpK3oxk
Three, on May 12, 2020, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci, was addressing a U.S. Senate Committee about the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus when he said he is cautiously optimistic, but “There’s no guarantee that the vaccine is actually going to be effective.”
Pray that an effective vaccine will be found but know that man cannot do anything without God’s permission, and make sure you are saved in case He does not grant it.
Four, on May 11, 2020, Israel announced that Israel’s Health Ministry will immediately start offering voluntary blood tests at existing clinics.
Israel’s health officials believe some people may have been exposed to the virus and developed an immunity to it.
These officials plan to test 100,000 volunteers for antibodies that show an immunity.
If some people are immune to the virus, they do not need to be vaccinated or quarantined; they can go back to work, travel, etc.
If this is true, a law requiring everyone on earth to be vaccinated and tattooed may be unnecessary.
Five, on May 15, 2020, Executives at Sorrento Therapeutics in California said they have discovered a Coronavirus antibody that has been 100% effective in lab tests.
They said the antibody will protect healthy cells from the virus and get rid of it in 4 days.
Six, concerning world religion and his departing from the faith, on May 10, 2020, possible (emphasis on possible) False Prophet, Pope Francis said, “I believe that should he (Trump) be re-elected, God will abandon all of his blessings upon America, and may see fit to raze it down, as Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Pope Francis should know that the problem in Sodom and Gomorrah was homosexuality, not people like Trump (Gen. 19:1-28).
Pope Francis has departed from the traditional Roman Catholic teaching (and the teaching of Pope Benedict) that homosexuality is unchristian.
Concerning America’s future, Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham’s daughter) said it well, “For years we’ve (American’s have) been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the Gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?”
Seven, on May 14, 2020, U.S. Sec. of State Mike Pompeo was in Israel to: 1) try to advance Pres. Trump’s Peace to Prosperity proposal, and 2) to discuss the Israeli annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria.
These two issues relate to prophecies that must happen after the Rapture.
- The Antichrist must confirm a covenant of peace before the Tribulation Period can begin (Dan. 9:27; there could be swift movement after the rapture of the Church, plus many Arabs are beginning to move away from the Palestinians and toward Israel).
- The Palestinians want all Jews out of Judea and Samaria, but Jesus revealed that there will be a Temple, and Jews living in Judea at the middle of the Tribulation Period (Matt. 24:15-16).
In exchange for Israel’s written assurance that Israel will make an honest effort to negotiate a final peace treaty with the Palestinians, the U.S. is ready to recognize Israel’s annexation of about 30% of Judea and Samaria (There has been some wavering in Israel because of threats from the UN, EU, Palestinians, Jordan and others, but at this time it looks like Israel plans to vote on it around July l, 2020).
Advancing Trump’s peace proposal and annexing 30% of Judea and Samaria does not mean that the Tribulation Period is close (the Ten Kings haven’t appeared, Elijah hasn’t appeared, etc.), but it seems evident that the Tribulation Period is shaping up, and dividing Israel has ominous implications for the Battle of Armageddon (Joel 3:2).
Prime Min. Netanyahu said, “I think that this (Israel’s new government) is an opportunity to promote peace and security (peace and safety), based on the understandings that I reached with President Trump (during) my last visit in Washington in January.”
The promotion of peace and safety is a major sign that the Tribulation Period could be close (I Thess. 5:3), and Trump’s peace proposal is like fuel on a fire.
The creation of a map by Israel and the U.S. that will divide the Promised Land (if agreed to) and set aside 70% of Judea and Samaria for a potential Palestinian State, the freezing of Israeli construction on 70% of Judea and Samaria for four years, and the abandonment of 10,000 Jews to Palestinian control transgress the warnings of God.
Finally, there is always hope for every individual and nation.
God is all-powerful, God can destroy, God can deliver, and God offers hope to individuals and nations that do not know Him or that have abandoned Him (Jer. 1:10; II Chron. 7:14).
But the Bible is very clear that truly accepting Jesus as one’s Lord and Saviour is the only way to be saved (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), and the Rapture is the only hope of the terminal generation (Titus 2:13).
Be sure that you are trusting in Jesus and nothing else, draw close to Him, repent of your sins, and no matter what happens you will come out on top (Joel 2:11-13).
Because the Rapture is at hand, the time to act is now.
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