UNDERSTANDING
As I drove back home from the Post Office downtown Newberg this Friday noon hour the Lord very quietly, gently and softly gave me more understanding of the end-times which I am going to try and share with you. The only way I can explain what happened in my mind is to compare it with the feeling you get when you receive the insights/info/understanding to solve a puzzle or riddle similar to what you see on "Wheel of Fortune," with Vanna White. The three people playing the game keep getting clues from the letters they choose. Finally, one of the contestants will say, I would like to solve the puzzle. It might be a famous saying like An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or the name of a famous person, etc. It was one of those Oh, yes, I see it now, now moments when you know the answer. Many times we say afterward, Oh, of course. I knew that. It's so simple. Why did it take so long. Well, that's what happened to me today.
Over a period of time the Lord has been giving me deeper insights into Dan. 12 as a key chapter to understanding all of the prophecies. He also has made it very clear that anyone who believes God destroys will not be able to correctly interpret the Bible, let alone the prophecies. That, my friend, is how critical it is to pray for the oil of the Holy Spirit to understand the truth about God's true character of love, for the Bible's number one definition of God is LOVE, as in the famous verse, "GOD IS LOVE."
In the first four verses we see Jesus, as Michael, the archangel, standing up for His people during the final crisis of this earth's turbulent 6,000 year history. The word crisis means "Turning point," or "decisive" or "crucial" time. The 20th century truly has been a time of decision when people are turning toward the true God or toward His counterfeit, Satan, the pretender or imitation god of this world. Just as Pilate said, Behold the Man, when Jesus was on trial before him so today Christ is on trial again. In fact, the phrase, "The hour of His judgment is come" should actually be translated the "Hour of His crisis (trial)" has come. Amazing! Jesus is on trial again and we are the jury to decide what we shall do with our king. Shall we crown him the Lord of death and destruction or the Lord of life?
A correct understanding of the word "wrath" is extremely important here. My main insight came in regard to the timing of God's wrath, for example, in the time of the plagues. The plagues do not come all at once nor is God responsible for causing or bringing them. In fact, the plagues are man-made beginning with the sores on men's bodies to the polluting of the oceans, rivers and streams to the scorching heat of the sun brought on by man's eroding of the ozone layer to the spiritual and political darkness that is even now growing blacker each hour, even as I write. These plagues are even now in process, progressively growing worse each day. Eventually, they all will be going at the same time which will cause very intense suffering. For example the sores on men's bodies will be exacerbated by the intense heat of the sun as well as the putrid/polluted drinking water. So, eventually all seven will be going on simultaneously like a seven ring circus.
All this I already knew from my past studies...progressive revelation.
But, what I had not seen was the progressive nature of all the prophecies as well. For example, the sores on men's bodies from sexual diseases getting worse. The seas becoming more polluted "as or like the blood of a dead man" (which by the way is toxic just like the seas are becoming "toxic waste" as the blood of a dead man). As the scroll is unrolled we are able to see and understand these things just as we understand and get more insight when Vanna turns the letters. "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried." Dan. 12:10a. This purification of our hearts and the trying of our souls also involves a process...a process of understanding God's true character in minds (foreheads, where we will be sealed or settled into the truth that God does not destroy as well as His over all plan of the ages). Only the righteous understand this...only they are able, through the impartation of the Holy Spirit (the extra oil) whereby they are able to understand. "But the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; BUT THE WISE SHALL UNDERSTAND." V 10b.
Please notice that it clearly predicts that "none of the wicked" will understand the true meaning of what is going on. Why? Rev. 16:9 gives us a clue. It tells us that "men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power of these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory." At this point in our present history of the planet there are no reports of anyone being angry at God because they are being "scorched" with great heat. However, there are more and more reports that it is getting more dangerous to be out in the sun for very long and more and more people are being burned by the intense heat of the sun which seems to be getting hotter each year. If this trend continues it will only be a matter of time until this prophecy begins to be fulfilled. The Greek word here is kaumatizo which means to sear or scorch or burn with heat. As were the previous plagues this fourth plague definitely seems to be literal. Although each of the first four plagues seems to have already begun in our world they have not progressed enough...i.e. caused enough pain and suffering yet for anyone to begin blaspheming God which is what v. 11 says will eventually happen. "And (they) blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds." When you look up the words "noisome and grievous" in the original Greek, 2556 and 4190 in Strongs, both words indicate this sore is from a disease which comes as a result of moral degeneracy. "Diseased; but especially (moral) culpable (guilty), i.e. derelict, vicious...lewd."
The most interesting aspect of verse 9 is that the "blaspheming" of the Name of God is directly connected to the fact that they do not "repent" of their sin "to give Him glory." So, their degeneracy, which would especially refer to sexual immorality, is linked to the fact that they are blaming God for these plagues. And this constitutes their blasphemy. Please do not miss the seriousness of this, my friend. God's holy Word is telling us that to blame God for the plagues is blasphemy. And that is precisely what the wicked are doing in verse 9 and 11.. "blaspheming." "And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores." God's Name is His character which they are blaspheming by blaming Him for bringing the plagues. Furthermore, v. 9 says they did not "give Him glory." That is they refused to assign to him His true character which belongs to Him and for which He should be worshipped...i.e. that He is not a "death" God but a life God which the true Sabbath proves. But these people have received the Mark of the Beast on their right hand or forehead...the literal aspect of the prophecy...and secondly they will honor the beast by worshipping on the day of the Sun...Sunday. How very important it is that we do not teach God is the One who brings the plagues. This kind of theology agrees with...aids and abets (sanctions in wrong doing) those who are blaspheming the true God by blaming Him for bringing the plagues. It is also interesting to note that v. 10 tells us the result of blaspheming God is the fifth plague which is a plague of darkness...spiritual darkness for the leaders of the world now consider the God of heaven to be their number one arch enemy.
So, even as you read this the whole world is being divided up into two camps. The camp of violence and wickedness and the camp of righteous decisions, gentleness, compassion, mercy and most of all, love. In other words, the fruits of the spirit. The Samson type Christians with their jawbones are ready to go forth and literally destroy the wicked Philistines (Terrorists, Government officials, etc.) where as the Daniels and Josephs are progressively be prepared for a wider and more important work in the heavens above...even the work of visiting all of the planets to tell them of Jesus and His love and remove the "fear of death" from them as well. What an incredible time of opportunity.