I just finished a chapter by chapter Revelation study for my family which I recorded on YouTube, and on Jan 5th, I attended an amazing prophecy seminar.
So, prophecy is on my brain.
Many people don't want to study prophecy because they think it is scary or hard to understand. If they understood what prophecy really is they would not fear it.
Prophecy is all about Jesus. Revelation 19:10 says "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
From the fall in the garden, where God said the seed of the woman (Jesus) would have His heel bruised at the crucifixion and that Jesus would crush the head of the devil at His second coming, to the very last page of the Bible prophecy is interwoven in the story to tell of His first coming, crucifixion, and second coming. When we view prophecy as learning all that Jesus wants us to know about Him, we undertand that the study of prophecy is not an option it's a necessity.
Jesus wants His church to study prophecy. On the road to Emmaus, two of those who were following Jesus were bummed because He'd been crucified. Jesus appears and starts walking by them and paraphrasing here He says, "Hey, what's got your so bummed?" They say, "Dude, where have you been? We were following this guy who was awesome and he was crucified. We were hoping he was the Messiah!" Jesus responds, "O foolish ones, and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken." Paraphrasing, "If you'd known your prophecy, you'd have realized the Messiah had to suffer and die first, then come back to redeem Israel." Then Jesus took the time to spell it out to them, explaining from Moses, through all the prophets, how it all pointed to Him. Also, one of the complaints He had about the Pharisees, who studied the scriptures, is that they could tell the weather better than they could understand the prophecies of His first coming, so they missed it completely!
In Revelation 1:3, God promises a special blessing to those who study Revelation. It says "Blessed is he who reads and those the hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near."
That is one of the reasons I decided to do a YouTube video teaching for my famiy because I wanted us to receive the promised blessing. And, I wanted to arm them with knowledge. God says that His people parish for lack of knowledge.
That is why the Devil has robbed the church of studying prophecy. The study and understanding of prophecy keeps the Believer on guard and watchful. One of the biggest tactics of the devil is the keep the Believer asleep, ignorant and lukewarm through compromise. While the world gets darker and darker and uncertainity and chaos abound, the Believer who studies prophecy has this inner hope that serves as encouragment on the worst of days. We know the end of the story. We win!
In Revelation, Jesus has a message for seven churches. These churches represent the churches throughout history, the churches during the Apostle John's time, and the churches of today.
Jesus's warning to the compromising church was to stop compromising with sexual sin. He told them to repent.
To the corrupt church, He told her to repent and hold fast to to truth.
To the dead church, Jesus warned them that they thought they were alive but they were really dead. He told them to repent or he would come like a thief in the night and they would not know the hour in which he would come.
To the lukewarm church, the told them, "You think that you are wealthy but you are really naked poor and wretched." They were confident in their wealth and comfort and Jesus told them to be zealous and repent, but because if they remained lukewarm he would vomit them out of his mouth.
Only two churches received commendations from Jesus. The persecuted church thoughout history and today will receive the crown of life. The faithful church -we want to be part of the faithful church - Jesus told them, "You kept My Word and did not deny My Name. This is the only church that Jesus says He will keep from the hour of trouble coming on the whole world - he'll rescue from the Tribulation.
Jesus told us how to make sure we would escape the tribulation. The Rapture is our great escape. To understand the Rapture of the church, you have to understand the traditions involved in Jewish weddings. At a Jewish wedding, only the father of the groom knows the day of the wedding. After a couple gets engaged, the groom goes back to his father's house to build a room addition onto his father's house. The bride goes home, prepares her wedding dress and get's herself ready. She has her bridesmaids and family keeping watch to see how the building is going. As the building gets closer to completion, she invites her bridesmaids to stay with her and they anxiously await the groom's arrival. The father gets to decide when his son can go get his bride. Finally, the Father announces to the son, "Go get your bride." It is usually at night and a big procession of celebrating groomsmen and family go and receive the bride and everyone goes back to the father's house for the wedding and reception.
That is why Jesus gave the parable about the Ten Bridesmaids. He knew His audience would understand the meaning behind it. To those who are waiting and watching with oil in their lamps (which means Holy Spirit filled), He will come for them and they will be ready. They will be His Faithful church. To those who are not ready, not watching, and not filled with His Spirit, Jesus will come like a thief in the night. And remember his warning to the dead church, they would not know what hour he would come.
When Jesus told His disciples,
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)
He was reassuring his disciples, "I'm the bridegroom. I'm going to my Father's house to prepare a place to you and when my Father says, 'Go get your Bride' I'm coming back to you to receive you to myself."
So we study prophecy because Jesus wants His bride ready for His return. At the prophecy conference, here is list of major events happening right now that we need to be aware of:
1. The conflict between globalism and nationalism. The antichrist spirit is pushing the nations of the world towards globalism. Europe is almost completely lost but a few are rising up against it, like Brexit and the Yellow Vests. That is why the globalist hate Trump. God is using him to push back against the One World Government. When you watch the news, look for the spiritiual battle raging behind the scenes, the media propagand braining washing our youth, and even those who are in the church that hate President Trump are blind to the antichrist agenda that is being raged for the soul of our nation.
2. Rise of evil, tolerance for demonic practices and witchcraft. When witches are being interviewed on news stations discussing putting a hex on Trump and judges like it's no big deal, Jesus is coming back soon. In Hollywood, the demonic is pretty much mainstream and out in the open. One actor just thanked Satan in his acceptance speech and a famous singer just created a gender neutral clothing line. In her marketing pictures, toddlers are seen wearing clothing that says "New Order". On the children's clothing, she has actual human skulls. Interesting choice for a kid's clothing line.
3. US withdrawl from Syria. Whenever you hear Syria mentioned in the news, it is time to listen up. Israel will be invaded by a 5 nation coalition fulfilling Ezekiel 38 prophecy. Those nations are Russia, Iran, Turkey, Sudan and Libya. They will invade Israel from Syria. It will be lead by Russia. Three of these nations have already united and are stationed on the border of Israel in Syria. The Prime Minister of Israel just went to meet with Libya and Sudan, and this weekend Israel bombed Iranian military sites in Syria. A general in Iran is calling on the destruction of Israel. In Israel, the media and enemies of Israel are attempting to do to him what our media and left is doing to Trump. They are trying to get him out of office. He is up for reelection in April. If he loses, Israel will most likely be led by a leader who will be willing to divide the land in a peace deal. We need to pray that he wins reelection and Trump too.
4. Apostasy of the church - many churches are abandoning sound doctrine for messages that tickle the ears. I heard a great quote at the prophecy conference "When the church tries to be more like the world in an effort to reach it, Jesus is coming soon." A recent example is a pastor who was quoted saying, "the church needs to unhitch from Old Testament." He got a lot of heat for his comment, especially from Messianic Jews. A friend had me listen to an interview he did trying to talk his way out of it. She thought maybe he had been misunderstood. After watching the interview, I could see that he did mean it. He tried talking in circles but he wants to only preach parts of New Testament. He says that Christianity is not based on Bible but on the historical act of the Resurrection. He said he's trying to reach an audience that doesn't believe in the Bible. Well, there is no resurrection without atonement of sin by the sacrifice of blood. Jesus is foretold from Genesis to Revelation. But, he is trying to be more like the world in an effort to reach the world. This is false doctrine and he is one of the false teachers Jesus warned us about. It's also Replacement Theology - where Christians believe the Church has replaced Israel as God's chosen people. That is demonic theology. But see how suble it is. If people don't know their scripture, they will be easily mislead because it sounds good. Another thing happening in the church is the compromise on sexual sin that Jesus warned the churches about in Revelation. I just read a story of a Northern CA Pastor who was fired from his church because he posted sign agreeing with Biblical doctrine on sexual immorality. That sad thing is, he was fired because an elder in his church said if the pastor did not go, he would go....An elder in the church!!! That elder represents the curropt, comprised, dead church.
So, these are just a few of the things that we need to be aware of. It's up to us to be the Bridesmaids that have oil in our lamps and are keeping watch. We have to watch for the Bridegroom so we can warn those we love. Those who are on the fence, who are not ready, who are compromising with sexual sin, witchcraft, etc. Let me tell you why. The most shocking thing I learned at prophecy conference wasn't the different current events or signs of the times, it is what happens to those we love who are left behind. I always figured after reading the "Left Behind" series is that those we witness to that don't recieve Jesus now, will accept him after we get raptured because they will realize that what we said was true and they will come to the faith. They would have to be martryed but they would be saved. According to several pastors I respect, and my respected Bible commentary it says that those who reject the message of salvation and are left behind, God will send a strong delusion on them and they will not be able to come to the faith. They will be easily ensared the charisma and lies of the Antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-13(NKJV)
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
When I walked away from the conference, I was stunned and saddened. When you read Revelation, you see how the Antichrist will deceive many, and their hearts will grow cold and hard that they will curse God instead of repenting. You see that antichrist spirit today with the verocity and hatred towards Trump and his supporters (really what he is fighting against which is abortion, sex-trafficking, and globalism.) Also, the hatred against Evangelical Christians and Israel. A pastor I follow on prophecy said it great, "It's time for us to go because we have out stayed our welcome on this earth."
So, why is it necessary to study Revelation and prophecy?
1. Jesus wants us to.
2. God promises us a blessing if we do.
3. And we have been chosen and called to live in such a time as this to warn others and to reach them with the Gospel.
Final warning from Jesus:
Luke 21:34-36 (NKJV)
The Importance of Watching
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
That scripture has become my prayer, "Jesus, count me worth to escape the wrath to come. Forgive me of anything in my life that is offensive, reveal to me those areas in which I compromise and am lukewarm, and help me to change. Clothe me in your righteousness and cover me by the blood of the Lamb. Keep me under the shelter of your wings and give me the courage, boldness to share the gospel in love while I still have time. In Jesus Name. Amen."
Below you will find the videos to the Prophecy Conference I attended.
Watch and be informed.
Love,
Yolanda
https://youtu.be/H_iQiupPTVk
https://youtu.be/yYgBqBAr824
https://youtu.be/x9D9qmq2Avg
https://youtu.be/uzBa-pmGL50
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