INTERPRETAING THE TIMES: 2020 & BEYOND

CRUSHED, overwhelmed, devastated, torn; these waves of feelings wash over those who suffer, obliterating hope and threatening to destroy them. Suffering has many forms…physical abuse, debilitating disease, social ostracism, persecution. The pain and anguish tempt a person to turn back to surrender and/or give in. Christ’s followers throughout history suffer, are abused and persecuted for believing in and obeying Jesus. Apostle Peter knew persecution firsthand having been beaten, jailed and often threatened. He saw fellow believers die and the church scattered, but he knew Christ and nothing could shake his confidence in his risen Lord, so he wrote to the church then and us as we continue to endure; giving comfort and hope, urging us to continue loyalty to Christ.  

He writes second Peter to warn the church/Bride of Christ about false teachers, exhorting us to grow in faith. But, warnings have many forms: lights, signs, sights, sounds, smells, feelings and written words. With varied focus, their purpose is the same, to advise alertness and give notice of imminent danger. The responses to these warnings will also vary from disregard and neglect to evasive or corrective action. How a person reacts to a warning is usually determined by the situation and the source. One reacts differently to an impending storm than to an onrushing automobile and the counsel of a trusted friend is heeded more than advice from a stranger or the fearful imaginings of a child.

In the most ignored book of the Bible are pages written by Apostle John as the Lord Jesus revealed to him what would happen towards the end. This is the book where the Men of God would rather not trend on as Christ, compelled by His love, reveals His full identity, warning and giving hope to His follows. Do not ignore the prophetic message in this book of revelation as we all with our eyes wide open, see the wheels of Christ’s imminent return in motion and there is no stopping. We are already in the wake of the 3^rd day, we are at dawn of ‘Sunday Morning’, because a day is like a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years is like a day as Apostle Peter encourage suffering Christians of his day refuting the scoffers of our time who mock the truth and follow their own desires…2 Peter 3:8. God’s judgment will be swift and sure.

God may have seemed slow to these believers as they faced persecutions every day and longed to be delivered. Scoffers were on their back saying that Jesus would never come back. Many people have told me that the end of the world is when one dies but I refute these claims strongly and chose to explain God’s mastery over time. God is not slow, He just is not on our timetable…Psalms 90:4 and is not limited by time as Moses teaches us on brevity of life. It is easy to get discouraged when years pass and the world does not get better and we sometimes wonder if God is able to see the future. But don’t assume that God has our limitations. God is completely unrestricted by time because He is eternal. We can depend on Him and His Word. Jesus is and has been waiting so that more sinners will repent and turn to Him. We must not sit idling waiting for Christ’s return but we should realize that time is very short and we have important work to do. Be ready to meet Christ any time even today; yet plan your course of service to Him as though He may return in the next few years.  DO NOT ignore the words written in this book by a prophet whom the Lord loved. Just like I will always say; prophets and trees have at least one characteristic, they are both planted for the future. Seedlings are always overlooked and prophets are often ignored. Apostle John’s vision is with us.

                                                                    

No matter how God warns the people through famine, drought, blight, locust, plagues or war, like the voices of the earlier prophets, many people today will still ignore Him. Those who will refuse to repent will meet the Judge's Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord face to face in judgment in a time that is so near. Disbelieve will hold Jesus no longer at ransom, because the wheels of His return are already in motion. The People will not always ignore God; they will have to face the one they have rejected, the one they have refused to obey when He commanded them to care for the poor. In a time not far from today, each one of us will meet Jesus face to face to give account for what we have done or refused to do. Are you prepared to meet Him...Amos 4:6-13. Prophet Habakkuk also felt the way many of the believers including me feel despite the apparent triumph of evil but God is still in control of the world and trusting Him leads to quiet hope, not bitter resignation. Hope means going beyond our unpleasant daily experiences to the joy of knowing God. It is not easy to be patient but it helps to remember that God hates sin even more than we do. Punishment of sin is already in motion as you will discover in the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation. As God told His Prophet, ‘wait patiently’…Habakkuk 2:3, we must trust God even when we experience the unexplainable times in the world and why things/events occur as they have…Romans 2:4; 1 Timothy 2:4. Repentance is paramount to everyone created by God, meaning to change mind and turn from sin and its disastrous consequences to God through His only Son and eternal life. In His mercy, god has given us time to decide to follow Him and now is the time He has planned to reclaim back all that belongs to Him including you. Only our stubborn willfulness stands in the way.

WITH tiny wrinkles and cries, Jesus, the God-man entered the world and wrapped in strips of cloth, took His first nap on a bed of straw. Subject to time and to parents, He grew to manhood in Roman-occupied Judea, His gentle hands becoming strong and calloused in Joseph’s woodworking shop. As a man, He walked through the countryside and city, touching individuals, preaching to crowds and training 12 men to carry on His work. At every step, He was hounded by those seeking to rid the world of His influence. Finally, falsely accused and tried, He was condemned to a disgraceful execution by foreign hands. As He died, He was spat upon, cursed, pierced by rusty roman nails and hung heavenward for all to deride. Jesus gave His life completely so that all might live. On 22^nd September…Leviticus 23:34-36, on the feast of Shelters, the risen and ascended Lord will burst onto the world scene and all will know that Jesus is Lord of the universe. Those who love Him will rejoice, greeting their Savior with hearts overflowing into songs of praise. But His enemies, those who have rejected Him, will be filled with fear. Allied with satan, His enemies will marshal their legions against Christ and His armies. But who can withstand God’s wrath? Christ will win the battle and reign victories forever! Jesus, the humble suffering servant, is also the powerful, conquering King and the Judge’s Son.

In Revelation 6:1ff, Apostle John is suddenly caught up into heaven, where he sees a vision of God Almighty on His throne. All of Christ follows and the heavenly angels are worshipping God…Revelation4:1-11. He watches as God gives a scroll with 7 seals to the worthy Lamb, Jesus Christ…Revelation 5:1-14. Number 7 in the Bible or in spiritual numbering means perfection and completion. The Lamb begins to open the seals one by one and as each seal is opened a new vision appears. As the 1^st of the four seals are opened Revelation 6:1-8, riders appear on houses of different colors indicating or symbolic of God’ involvement within world’s government. War, famine disease and death are on the riders’ path. Chapter six begins to unveil the future of the universal church. Apostle John sees the course of coming events in a way similar to Prophets Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah. Many of these passages contain clear spiritual teaching, but others seem beyond our ability to understand but the Holy Spirit will help you and I to unveil Revelation 6:1-8-1.

The scroll that Apostle John sees contains the full account of what God has in Store for the world. The seven seals indicate the importance of its contents. The seals are located throughout the scroll so that as each one is broken, more of the scroll can be read to reveal another phase of God’s plan for the end of the world. Christ is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll…Revelation 5:3-5. Jesus is picture as both a lion, symbolizing His authority and power and a Lamb symbolizing His submission to God’s Will. The role of Christ the Lion will be to lead the battle where satan is finally defeated…Revelation 19:19-21. Christ the Lion is victorious because of what Christ the Lamb has already done.

Chapter 6:1ff is the first of three-part judgment. The Trumpet in chapters 8-9 and the Bowls in chapters 16 are the other two. As each seal is opened, Christ the Lamb sets in motion events that will bring about the end of human history. This scroll is not completely opened until the 7^th seal is broken in chapter 8:1. The contents of the scroll reveal humanity’s depravity and portray God’s authority over the events of human history. As four horses appear as the first four seals are opened, they represent God’s judgment of peoples’ sin and rebellion. God is directing human history, even using His enemies to accomplish His purposes. The four horses are a foretaste of the final judgments yet to come. Chapter six is a parallel of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. The imagery of four horses is also found in Zechariah 6:1-8. Each of the four horses is of a different color. The rider on the white horse is going after them to gain victory and this is not Christ because the other 3 horses related to judgment and destruction. The four riders are part of the unfolding judgment of God. The other horses going out to do the work of judgment with colors representing: red for warfare and bloodshed, black for famine, pale green for death and grave.

When the second seal was opened, it revealed a red horse whose rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from earth and there was war and slaughter everywhere. It is undeniable to say that there is conflict on earth. These four judgment happen co-currently as they are opened. When the Lamb broke the 3^rd seal, a black house was revealed and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. How do us all, worldwide, measure to God’s scale. COVID-19 is doing just that, it is the scale in the hands of the Lord. Affecting every one, all nations and creed/religion. God wants sin and wickedness removed by this judgment. He wants all to be right with Him through repentance for the forgiving of sin and reconciliation to Himself through the sacrifice of His only Son Jesus Christ. It will not matter what you have believed in the past but now, you have a chance to see El Shaddai through the effects of COVID-19. Like I showed you before, COVIT-19 in spiritual numbering means RESTORATION verses JUDGMENT. This is yet another chance for unbelievers to receive Christ’s love.

Every nation is feeling the escalating bite of the deteriorating economy as the basic commodity like food prices escalate by day. There is no super power able to claim the power. The 3^rd seal, ushers in scarcity on earth. Even with the lock-down, there is one who will not be affected or controlled by the changes, the Holy Spirit is at work…Revelation 6:6…and don’t harm/waste/hurt the olive oil and wine…[the wine represent the end time message], bringing people to repentance. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God will take full authority of the church. Ministry not aligned to the Holy Spirit will be out of Job. Those who have already applied the blood of the Lamb on the door-frame of their heart need not to worry. COVID-19, the angel of death will not penetrate to their ‘house’ but will pass over their ‘house’ of the believers.

BEWARE, God has taken control of the earth/world’s affairs’ as He moves those He has chosen by the power of the Holy Spirit to prepare the way for His Son to come and marry His Betrothed. He is unstoppable. As the world learn, ‘the new normal’ [in the words of our very own Deputy President Honorable William Ruto in his Madaraka Day address], Christ also expects all to align to His government in the forthcoming event called RAPTURE. As we learn the new normal, there will be many casualties as revealed by the breaking of the 4^th seal. The rider of this pale-green horse is called Death and the Grave…Revelation 6:7-8. These two will be given authority over one-fourth of the earth to kill with the sword, famine, disease and wild animals. There will be widespread deaths on earth. Just like the other riders indicating that God is still limiting His judgment, it is not yet complete. With these judgments there is still time for unbelievers to turn to Christ and away from their sin. In this case, the limited punishment not only demonstrates God’s wrath on sin but also His merciful love in giving people, yet another opportunity to turn to him before He brings final judgment. We must never presume upon God’s patience. Our repentance must be visible and authentic.

Complete peace will only come when Christ returns. The picture in Revelation of the coming persecution and natural disasters I gloomy, but ultimately it is a cause for great joy. When believers see these events happening, they will know that their Messiah’s return is coming soon and they can look forward to His reign of justice and peace. Rather than being terrified by what is happening in our world, we should confidently await Christ’s return to bring justice and restoration to His people. Heaven and earth will pass away but Christ revelation to Apostle John and His own Words in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 about His return shall not pass away…Luke 21:32, 33. Jesus told His disciples to keep a constant watch for His return. Although over 2000 years have passed since He spoke these words, their truth remains: Christ return is sure. What we see now is the first of the birth pains, with more to come. We need to watch and be spiritually fit. This means working faithfully at the tasks God has given us. Don’t let your mind and spirit be dulled by careless living, drinking or foolishly pursuing pleasure. Don’t let the cares of this life weigh you down. Be ready to move at God’s command.

The 5^th seal, the cry of the Martyrs is heard under the altar, Apostle John saw their souls. The altar represents the altar of sacrifice in the Temple, where animals’ blood were sacrificed to atone for sins…Leviticus 4:7. Instead of the animal’s blood at the base of the altar, Apostle John saw the souls of Martyrs who had died for preaching the Good News. They were told that still more would lose their lives for their belief in Christ…Revelation 6:11. In the face of warfare, famine, persecution and even death, I urge believers in Christ to stand firmly for what they believe. Only those who endure to the end will be rewarded by God…Mark 13:13. Martyrs are eager for God to bring justice to the earth, but they are told to wait. God is not waiting until a certain number is reached, but He is promising that those who suffer and die for their faith will not be forgotten. Rather, they will be single out by God for special honor…Revelation 20:4; Matthew 19:28…to judge and to reign with Christ for 1000 years…Luke 22:28-30.

At times, we may wish for justice immediately as these Martyrs did, but we must be patient. God works according to His own timetable and he promise justice. No suffering for the sake of God’s Kingdom, is wasted. As we see the world’s wickedness, we too may cry out to God, “how long?” in the following chapters, the judgment comes at last. We may be distressed and impatient, but God has His plan and His timing and we must learn to trust Him to know what is best. Judgment is coming, be sure of that. Thank God for the time He has given you to turn from sin and use the available time to work to help others turn to Him.

The 6^th seal changes the scene back to the physical world. The first four seal judgments were directed toward specific areas, but this seal judgment is universal. We see COVID-19 affect some parts of the world more intensely than other parts and many try to explain this away, but everyone will be afraid when the earth itself trembles. At the sight of God sitting on the throne, all human beings, great and small, will be terrified, calling for the mountains to fall on them so that they’ll not have to face the judgment of the Lamb. This vivid picture is not intended to frighten believers. For them, the Lamb is a gentle Savior. But, those kings, rulers and generals and other powerful people who previously showed no fear of God and arrogantly flaunted their unbelief will find that they were wrong and on this day of the Lord, they’ll have to face God’s wrath. No one who has rejected God can survive the day of His wrath, but those who belong to Christ will receive a reward rather than punishment. Let me ask you, do you belong to Christ yet? If so, you need not fear these final days.

God’s people [believers/Body of Christ/Church] will be preserved. Just when all hope seems lost…Revelation 7:1-4, four angels hold back the four winds/horses/spirits of judgment until God’s people are sealed as His own. Only then will God open the 7^th seal…Revelation 8:1. A seal on a scroll, document or even a bottle identifies and protects it content. God places His own seal on His followers identifying them as His own and guaranteeing His protection over their souls. This shows how valuable we are to Him. Our physical bodies may be beaten, maimed or even destroyed but nothing can harm our souls when we have been sealed by God. Apostle Paul shows that one of the nature and purpose of the Body of Believers is that they are marked/sealed with the Holy Spirit…Ephesians 1:13, 14. The Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that we belong to Him and that He will do what He has promised. The Holy Spirit is like a down payment, a deposit, a validating signature on the contract. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us demonstrates the genuiness of our faith, proves that we are God’s children and secures eternal life for us. His power works in us to transform us now and what we experience now is a foretaste of the total change we are going to experience in eternity. The Holy Spirit is the first instalment guaranteeing our inheritance…2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 and that we are going to be saved on the day of redemption…Ephesians 4:30. His presence is also a promise that those who have died will be resurrected with glorified bodies like the body Christ now has in heaven…Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:25-58…or down payment of future glory.

God’s seal is placed on the foreheads of His servants and those sealed according to Revelation 7:4, were 144,000. This number is a multiple of 12x12x1000 symbolizing completeness. No. 12 is the number of God’s people…12 tribes in Israel and 12 apostles who started the church. All of God’s followers will be brought safely to Him, not one will be overlooked or forgotten. God seals these believers either by withdrawing them from the earth- this is called RAPTURE or by giving them special strength and courage to make it through the time of great persecution. The seal does not necessarily guarantee protection from physical harm, many will die but God will protect them from spiritual harm. No matter what happens, they’ll be brought to their reward of eternal life. Their destiny is secure. These believers will not fall away from God en though they may undergo intense persecution and they will remain true to God until the end.

RAPTURE may not be directly mentioned in scripture. A trumpet blast will usher in the new heaven and earth…Numbers 10:10…the Jews would understand the significance because trumpets were always blown to signal the start of great festival and other extraordinary events Christians alive on that day will not have to die but will be transformed immediately…1 Corinthians 15:51-55. But, we who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. The Christians who have died will rise, from their graves. Then together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The dead in Christ will rise with eternal bodies like that of the Lord and we shall be transformed in a twinkling of an eye…1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7:10 and Matthew 24:30-31. The Nations of the earth will mourn because unbelievers will suddenly realize they have chosen the wrong side. Everything they have scoffed and will be happening and it will be too late to change sides.

This is not saying that 144ooo individuals must be sealed before the persecution comes, but that when the persecution begins, the faithful will have already been sealed or marked by God and will remain true to Him. The listing in Revelation 7:4-8 is a different list from the usual listing of the 12 tribes in the Old Testament because it is symbolic list of God’s true follows: Judah is mentioned firs because Judah is both the tribe of David and of Jesus the Messiah…Genesis 49:8-12, Matthew 1:1; Levi had no tribal allotment because of the Levites’ work for God in the Temple Deuteronomy 18:1, but here the tribe is given a place as a reward for faithfulness; Dan is not mentioned because it was known for rebellion and idolatry traits unacceptable for God’s followers…Genesis 49:17; the 2 tribes representing Joseph, usually called Ephraim and Manasseh, after Joseph’s sons are here called Joseph and Manasseh because of Ephraim’s rebelling. See Genesis 49 for the story of the beginning. In Revelation 7:9-17 of these 12 tribes of Israel represents God’s people…the Church.

We see the great crowd in Revelation 7:9 brought to eternal life. These are the Martyrs in Revelation 6:9 and the 144000 in Revelation 7:4-8 sealed by God before the 7 years tribulation period and they represent believers who have endured persecutions on earth and now are ready to enjoy the eternal benefits and blessings of life with God forever just as God had promised. Before they were being prepared. Now, they are victorious. The crowd in heaven is composed of all those who remained faithful to go through out the generations. No true believer ever need worry about which group they will be in. god includes and protects each of us, and we are guaranteed a place in His presence.

In Revelation 7:1-8, we see the believers receiving a seal to protect them through a time of great tribulation and suffering in verses 9-17, we see the believers finally with God in heaven. All who have been faithful through the ages are singing before God’s throne. Their tribulations and sorrows are over; no more fears for sin, for all sins are forgiven; no more tears for suffering for all suffering is over; no more tears for death, for all believers have been resurrected to die no more.

When the 7^th seal is opened…Revelation 8:1, 2, the 7 Trumpet Judgment is revealed. In the same way, the seventh trumpet will announce the Seven Bowl Judgment in Revelation 11:15 and 16:1-21. The Trumpet Judgment, like the Seal Judgment are only partial. God’s final and complete judgment has not yet come. But in the intervening chapters twelve to fourteen, Apostle John sees the conflict between God and satan. He sees the source of all sin, evil, persecution and suffering on the earth and He understands why the great battle between the forces of God and satan must soon take place. In these chapters the nature of evil is exposed and satan is seen in all his wickedness. The last 7 plagues are also called the 7 Bowl Judgment…Revelation 16 and unlike the previous plagues [seals and Trumpet judgments] these are universal [affecting the world] and they will culminate in the abolition of all evil and the end of the world.

Revelation 14:14-20 gives us an image of judgment: Christ will separate the faithful from the unfaithful like a farmer harvesting his crops. It will be a time of joy for the believers who have been persecuted and martyred when they will receive their long-awaited reward. We should not fear the last judgment. Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me lave eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life…John 5:24. A wine press described in Revelation 14:14-20 was a large vat/trough where grapes were collected and then crushed. The juice flowed out of a duct that let into a large holding vat. The winepress is often used in the Bible as a symbol of God’s wrath and judgment against sin…Isaiah 63:3-6; Lamentation 1:15; Joel 3:12-13.

To those unaccustomed to vivid descriptions of God’s anger in judgment, the above images are quite disturbing. Many people dislike the idea of other people, even evil ones being trampled like grapes. The depth and length of the blood flow provides a sickening scene of the immensity of God’s judgment. But, unless we face the necessity of God’s judgment, we will never see our desperate need for His mercy. A god with only a grandfatherly kindness would not inspire our repentance, obedience or worship. God has promised a harsh harvest for those who rejected Him. Those who know God well enough to fear His wrath know God well enough to desire His grace. The crushing wrath of God is coming. Blessed are those who have had their sins forgiven and blessed are those who lead others to God’s mercy.

Dear reader, the key to God’s eternal glory and power is His holiness…Revelation 4:8. God’s glory is not only His strength but also His perfect moral character. God will never do anything that is not morally perfect. This reassures us that we can trust Him, yet it places a demand on us. Our desire to be holy, that is, dedicated to God and morally pure is our only suitable response. Our eternal reign with Christ won’t begin until all evil is destroyed by His judgment. We all must wait for His timetable to be revealed. Nut God’s patience and mercy are beyond our ability to understand. He will pursue us until we either respond to Him or by our own choice and hardness of heart, make ourselves unreachable. Then, God’s judgment is swift and sure. The only save course is to turn to God before our stubbornness puts us out of His reach.

Finally, the written Word [the Bible] gives us a clear choice between two life directions. Because life often forks off in two direction you must take the higher road, even though it looks more difficult and treacherous. That road gets steep in places. The climb takes a toll on your energy. It gets lonely. Not many are on it, but more than you imagined and some because of your example. It gets slippery; the devil blows ice on the narrow passages. But despite its dangers, the higher road is bound for the peak and you will make it, God has a lifeline around you. When you are tempted to falter in your faith or to turn back from following Christ, keep focused on what He has done for you and what He offers in the near future. Then keep climbing and soon enough, you will be with Him. The contract is signed and sealed, we are waiting just a short while for delivery.