Not too long ago I thought I would probably never be able to make much sense of the Book of Revelation, but after struggling with it off and on for a while now I can actually say it's coming together as a coherent communication, not that I fully grasp the message yet. I still don't kinow how all the parts relate to each other but I have more of a sense that if I just keep plugging away at it even that will eventually come together.
It feels SO close, the events of the end times, the events of Revelation. A scripture verse that comes to mind frequently these days is Luke 21:26:
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth...
I don't know how many at this point may be anticipating some pretty scary things "which are coming on the earth" but I know there are some and I'm one of them. A daily diet of "news" that you recognize as lies is enough to create such an apprehension, and it's hard to understand why this isn't apparent to everybody.
Here's that whole passage:
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
That's way bigger than America but there is no doubt that America is under our own judgments from God. Laws that violate God's law have been accumulating for decades at least, and they are loudly defended as righteous and Constitutional. The sad thing is that the end time developments are actually going to look good to some great number of people, just as anti_God laws look good to them. They'll love the Antichrist, they'll love doing what he tells them to do. That's what they've been doing already anyway. Those who oppose them they consider to be the evil resisters of their utopian vision for the planet. Gives me the shudders but that's the way things are polarizing these days: some shudder but others welcome it. The ones who shudder are going to have to choose death instead of the Antichrist. .
This is the patientce and faith of the saints. Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.
That is in Revelation 13 and again in Revelation 14 as the Antichrist's plans are spelled out to make buying and seeling a privilege of having his "mark," which has to be rejected by the followers of Christ, who will then die of starvation or other consequences of such deprivation. This starts at the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation as I read Revelation and some think it will be very clear when that has arrived. I'm not completely sure. The passage in Luke reminds me awfully of Revelation 6 which is already well into the seven years. Yes I know the similiarities are considered to be merely the Tribulation casting a shadow on our time. I'm just not so sure of any of that any more. I want them to be right, oh how I want them to be right, I would like to go in the Rapture like...tomorrow..
Concerning America's dive into evil these days, there are unbelievers who see what's going on and try their best to resist and oppose it, and don't give up hope that it's possible. Some believers too I guess. I also want to think there's a way to get things back to normal and I'll hang on every shred of hope I find, and certainly do what I can to bring it about no matter what.
But knowing the Bible means that you know why it's happening and that none of the attempts to resist it are aimed at the cause of it so there's nothing we can do to stop it. In fact everything we try fails. The elections are rigged and all the work being done to expose it and correct it doesn't work. The bad guys have all the motivation and the strength while those who would supposedly be on the right side are weak and disorganized. This is all evidence that God is judging us. The lies of the media continue unabated. Legal and other efforts to get the truth out, to counter the censorwhip of the social media, to right all the wrongs we see so clearly, aren't working. They are thrwarted at every turn.
Believers are the only ones who know why. It's frustrating but we know why. I know unbelievers who keep thinking eventually we have to succeed, this or that court case, this or that election, this or that candidate, will get things going back in the right direction. I want to believe it. I really really really want to beleive it. I support all these efforts.
But there is this lump in the pit of my stomach that just isn't going away.
We're under God's judgment. Unbeleivers have no idea what that means, and even many believers aren't thinking along these lines, but it's the only think that explains why all our efforts to get back to normal don't work.
The only thing that would work is repentance, rolling back our violations of God's Law. But listen to their outrage at Texas' attempt to roll back abortion to the sound of a fetal heartbeat.
They can shut us up, but they can't shut up God. His wrath will fall hard and they will have no idea why.
