Characteristics Of The Coming Tribulation

Matthew 24:9-14, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

This Scripture passage spoken by Jesus foretells of the future 7-year Tribulation period. We know it will be 7-years from Daniel 9:27 and 12:11-12.

Jesus foretells that during this time of tribulation that Christians will be killed. Some unlearned Bible students use this prophecy from Matthew 24:9 to prove that the Rapture won't happen until later, after the Tribulation. However, that is a false teaching. Just because there will be Christians alive during the Tribulation doesn't mean that there won't be a pretribulation rapture. But in fact, these will be believers saved during the Tribulation.

We know for a couple reasons that the Rapture must happen before the Tribulation:

1. Only a pretribulation rapture maintains secrecy. Jesus plainly said in Mark 13:32-37 that no man, not even the angels, know the time of his future return. It would make no sense if this passage applied to Christ's Second Coming. We are told in Daniel 12:11 that from the time of the Abomination of Desolation (when the Antichrist claims to be God from the temple in Jerusalem) to the end will be 1,290 days. Thus, the people alive during the Tribulation will be able to calculate the very day of Christ's return. Mark 13:32-37 must apply to the rapture, and it must needs be a pretribulation rapture.
2. The Bible tells us to look for Jesus, not the Antichrist (Titus 2:13). If the Rapture happens after the Tribulation, then the Man of Sin (Antichrist) must appear first. It would make no sense for believers to look for Jesus Christ if the Antichrist must appear first.

These are two compelling reasons why I reject the New IFB's silly prewrath rapture theory.

Jesus also said in our text passage in Matthew 24 that not a few, but many, false prophets shall arise and deceive many. As we near the end times, we are seeing the population sharply increase. In the year 1900 there were about one billion people on planet earth. Today in 2026 there are an estimated 8.3 billion people. By 2050, the global population is projected to be 9.7 billion. It makes sense that with more people comes more false prophets.

Jesus said because iniquity (unpunished sin) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. I noticed that four times the word “many” appears in Matthew chapter 24:

1. Many shall be deceived
2. Many shall be betrayed
3. Many false prophets shall rise up
4. The love of many shall wax cold

Already we are seeing these evils today, as we draw nearer the Tribulation. There is a woeful lack of genuine love, concern and compassion for people in churches today. I have never seen such a woeful lack of compassion for hurting sinners. The average Baptist church today is a mere social club where people won't come unless they are continually fed a buffet. Many people won't go to Baptist churches anymore (especially independent fundamental Baptists) because of self-righteous hypocrites who condemn sinners.

One of the greatest sermons I have ever heard by Pastor Jack Hyles is titled, 'The Good Man Versus The Spiritual Man.' Please listen to it. There are many good people in churches today. They are not wicked people. Most churchgoers are good and honorable people, but being a good person does not make you spiritual. Very few fundamentalist Christians are spiritual.

The vast majority of Baptist churches today are religious cults that preach a counterfeit plan of salvation. Calvinism is not the Gospel of free grace, it is a Satanic deception. Easy-believism is the Gospel. That is, you simply need to realize you're a guilty sinner and believe that Jesus died in your place on a cross 2,000 years ago, and that He was buried, and after three days Christ physically resurrected from the dead.

When the Bible says in Matthew 24:13 that they who endure unto the end shall be saved, it is referring to the flesh, not the salvation of the soul. This is clearly evidenced by Matthew 24:22. If God didn't shorten the Tribulation period, all flesh would perish.

Also, we read that the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to every corner of the earth during the coming Tribulation. Many sinners will come to the saving knowledge and faith of Jesus Christ. Yes, millions of people will get saved during the Tribulation period.

The thing that always strikes me the most about the coming Tribulation is what Jesus said about the love of many shall wax cold, because we already see that in society today, including nearly all the churches. Formalism has taken over nearly all Bible colleges and churches, just going through the daily motions of playing church, not genuinely caring about people.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Understanding 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2

2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

This is an often misunderstood and misinterpreted passage of Scripture. In particular, the New IFB (independent fundamental Baptist) movement led by Pastor Steven Anderson in Arizona butchers the Bible, errantly teaching that the rapture will happen after the Tribulation. The New IFB couldn't be more wrong. If you rightly divide the Word of Truth, you can only conclude a pretribulation rapture.

I recently purchased a helpful book by Pastor David O'Steen titled, “Study Notes On I & II Thessalonians,” in which he writes:

“The church at Thessalonica was troubled both from without by fierce persecution and from within by false doctrine. Satan has learned that the latter is the most effective way to mess up a church.” —Pastor David O'Steen, “Study Notes On I & II Thessalonians,” p. 125

I have been fighting with umpteen churches since 2014 over the demonic repent of your sins heresy which has crept into nearly every church and Bible college today, infecting pulpits. Not one verse in the inspired King James Bible teaches to repent “of your sins” to get to Heaven.

I was kicked out of Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College, Family Baptist Church in Pensacola, Smyrna Baptist Church in Pensacola and others, because I refused to go along with their damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation. Christ died on a cross 2,000 years ago as our substitute. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. Turning from your sins is a work according to Jonah 3:10, “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”

In the case of the Thessalonian believers, they had been infiltrated and lied to by a group of false teachers who convinced them that Christ had already returned, and they missed the rapture. So the Apostle Paul writes to them and reminds them of what he had previously taught them in his first letter about Christ's return. 2nd Thessalonians 2:5, “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” And we know from Acts 17:10-11 that the Berean Christians “were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” The Thessalonian saints were not very good Bible students. They had forgotten the truths which Paul taught them about Christ's future return.

Pastor O'Steen further writes:

“False doctrine shakes the minds and troubles the hearts of God's people  (2 Thess, 2:2), but sound doctrine produces a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7) and comforted heart in those that believe it (2 Thess. 2:15-17).” —Pastor David O'Steen, “Study Notes On I & II Thessalonians,” pp. 125-126

On page 128 Brother O'Steen writes: 

“The Body of Christ is not the subject of prophecy, but it is still good for us to study it (1 Thess. 5:1-2). We are stablished not only by Paul's gospel and the revelation of the mystery, but also the scriptures of the prophets (Rom. 16:25-27). We learn by comparison and contrast. When we compare and contrast what the Bible says about this present age with what it says about the day of the Lord, it is clear that we cannot mix the two.” —Pastor David O'Steen, “Study Notes On I & II Thessalonians,” p. 128

And here is the main quote from Brother O'Steen I wanted to share with you dear reader:

Those who teach that the Body of Christ will go through the tribulation think this passage supports their view because they misinterpret Paul to be saying that the rapture (“day of Christ” in v.2) will not come until after the Antichrist is revealed (v.3). But the “day of Christ” CANNOT be referring to the rapture in this passage because they would not have been shaken in mind and troubled for believing it was “at hand” (i.e., near). It would make no sense for Paul to beseech the brethren by wonderful promise of our blessed hope (1 Thess. 4:13-18) to not be troubled that it is at hand. 

If Paul was referring to the coming of the Lord for the Body of Christ in verse 2, he would be contradicting other passages in which he taught that it was “at hand” (Rom. 13:11-12; Phil. 3:20-21; 4:5). It is the second coming of Christ that is NOT “at hand” because there are signs that must be fulfilled first, and those won't begin until this present age ends. —Pastor David O'Steen, “Study Notes On I & II Thessalonians,” p. 129

That is a brilliant observation by Pastor O'Steen. Pastor Lee Roberson (1909-2007) was absolutely right, who I heard preach at a Hyles-Anderson College graduation commencement service, who said: “If you take the Bible at face value you can only conclude a pretribulation rapture.” Dr. Roberson is 100% correct!

Only a pretribulation rapture fits the puzzle of Bible prophecy. Jesus plainly taught that no man, not even the angels in Heaven, know the timing of His return (Mark 13:32-37). The only biblical position that maintains the secrecy, suddenness and imminency of Christ's return is a pretribulation rapture. If Christ were to return after the Antichrist is revealed, we would know exactly down to the day when Christ will return according to Daniel 12:11.

A Woman Rides The Beast

Revelation 17:3, “...and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”

Check this out...

European Union Headquarters in Brussels

Is that New World Order creepy or what?

Clearly, the god of this world, Satan according to 2nd Corinthians 4:4, is preparing the masses for the coming of the Man of Sin, that is, the AntiChrist.

I wrote this intriguing ministry article back in July of 2008. Somebody liked it so much that they've archived it for me, which I always appreciate. To God alone be all the praise, credit and glory! Dear reader, we have already entered into the end times of world history. We are now living in the times of the feet mixed with iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar's image, which the prophet Daniel interpreted in Daniel chapter two in the Old Testament:

Daniel 2:41-45, “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

Throughout human civilization there have been six world powers; namely, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The next world power will be the New World Order as prophesied in Revelation 17:10-18, out of which will arise the eighth king, the AntiChrist.

Today, we have several super powers in the world (i.e., United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, India, et cetera). But there are presently no world powers. That is, no one nation rules over the entire world as did Rome millenniums ago. I believe this is what the clay mixed with iron represents. We see iron in brutal communist regimes today like North Korea. 

Thank God that we do not live in such a wicked and terrible tyrannical place as North Korea. Their ungodly leader is so evil that he forcefully took over 2,000 virgin young girls to sexually please himself, cronies and distinguished guests. This “Pleasure Squad” is continually replenished with new girls. Kim Jong Un's life would be Jeffrey Epstein's dream come true, unlimited access to virgin young girls! What normal healthy man wouldn't envy Kim Jong? Yet, there is a God in Heaven to whom we must all give account one day for our behavior. I fear God, Kim Jong Un does not. Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

The coming of our blessed Savior and Lord draws ever nearer each and every passing day! I thank God I am a born again Christian. Are you dear friend?