Voting for Baal...

[brakelite]

In Revelation 13 we read of two beasts (political powers), the first an historic entity inheriting pagan characteristics from its ancestral Babylonian/Persian/Greek/Roman genesis, such as church/state union, a penchant for global influence and power, (both civil and religious), a proclivity for persecution against God's people, and blasphemy. This beast, as were its ancestors, is predatory, dictatorial, territorial, and jealous of its power and control demanding submission from all to its laws and decrees.
Not wanting to promote itself to world dominion, in an environment now not so suited to its former predatory practice, she now seeks to gain power by deceit, so this entity deceives another beast into doing its work for him. Notice how this second beast establishes the first beast's laws...Revel.13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
It is the people themselves (the 'they' above) who are brought to a place where they demand, (no doubt by popular vote) global power being offered to the first beast. This is fascinating. First, they must not be aware of who they are actually voting for. They do not make the connection between the historical nor the Biblical narrative and the entity responsible for past persecutions and this modern entity who appears to them a different character. Despite that, this power must still be visibly a church/state union of some sort, so for the people to vote unanimously for such an entity and not the usual secular powers of recent history, is a giant leap away from tradition. What could bring about such a scenario, where people willingly plead for a global union of church and state to take dominion over all the earth? And what union of church and state is there today who could possibly have the standing to take on such a role? And what entity having those characteristics is currently positioning itself to accept such an offer?
Are you ready for this? Do you really understand the history and the character of the candidates on offer? Americans have a choice to make soon between two candidates, possibly Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump. Much has been said about both of them, their respective pasts been dug up and stewed over and debated incessantly on all manner of forums and FB pages. If what we read is anything to go by, Americans should be running away from both of them in droves. Not really much of a choice is it? Yet the time is coming soon when the people of the world will deliberately vote for a criminal organization guilty up to its neck of innocent blood going back many centuries, to rule the world, presumably to usher in an era of 'peace and safety'! What terrible crisis could possibly induce the world to do this? What kind of sense of self-preservation would provide incentive for everyone to willingly submit to a religious tyranny that kills everyone who opposes her? The answer to that is found in the current campaigns being run in the US. Media lies...publicity campaigns designed to deceive...and a public willing to believe anything and anyone who offers them even the slightest hope of relief.
Now then is the time to discover what is truth. Before the crisis gets worse, before the media campaign hots up, before the deception gets fully established, before the truth is forever shut away from the public view.Now is the time to discern the true character of the candidate now running for global office, before such information is unavailable, or so twisted and obfuscated that reality becomes impossible to understand. And especially before your personal situation is such that a clear perception is confused or dulled by the conflicts and fears of others raging about you.

Malachi 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
1 ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
4 ¶ Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The decision soon to be made will be similar to that made when Elijah stood upon Mt Carmel calling to the people...how long will you procrastinate between two opinions...if the Lord be God, then worship Him, but if Baal be God, then worship him.
The question is, will you recognize Baal when he is offered to you, or will you believe him to be the true Lord and choose him in error?

 

[keras]

What terrible crisis could possibly induce the world to do this? What kind of sense of self-preservation would provide incentive for everyone to willingly submit to a religious tyranny that kills everyone who opposes her? Quote Brakelite.

The American Presidential campaign and new President causes a worldwide terrible crisis? Really?
There is quite a lot of world outside of the USA, you know!

Your idea totally contradicts Bible prophecy, that states over 100 times that the Lord will take action on His Day of wrath. We are told in great detail when He will act, what the Lord will use and the results of the sudden and shocking disaster.
The survivors of that Day will form a One World Govt, in order to regain law and order. But all who keep their faith in God during this testing time, will experience His blessings as they go to live in the holy Land. Ezekiel 34:11-31, Isaiah 35:-10, Amos 9:13-15

 

[brakelite]

What terrible crisis could possibly induce the world to do this? What kind of sense of self-preservation would provide incentive for everyone to willingly submit to a religious tyranny that kills everyone who opposes her? Quote Brakelite.

The American Presidential campaign and new President causes a worldwide terrible crisis? Really?
There is quite a lot of world outside of the USA, you know!

Not what I was saying Keras, might I suggest you read my post again? What I do believe however is that it will be the US government that leads the world into submission to the beast power. The first beast of Revelation 13 being the papacy, the second, the US. The coming crisis will be so bad that the only recourse open to the people is a form of theocracy...this they demand of their own government, and the USA, being in principle a Protestant nation, will establish a Protestant theocracy...an image to the papal theocracy (the first beast) of the middle ages. This however will not be restricted to a localized government, but a global one and will come fully under the auspices of Rome through the current growing ecumenical movement and the UN. Can you not see this beginning to happen even today?

 

[blessedhope]

And Do all Christians die in the Apocalypse … and can we prove it? To answer, we must begin by noting the positional distinctions between ALL tribulational Christians, and those of the pre-Tribulation period who are ALL raptured. During the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit is no longer an unction upon earth as during the Church Age. The Comforter has been removed along with the Church, and the Antichrist has been revealed. Those who come to Christ during the Tribulation are not spared suffering and physical death (the First Death), as are the raptured saints (who are alive at the time).
[SIZE=12pt]Pre-tribulational Christians of the Church Age are translated (physically changed for eternity, this the Rapture) to be in Christ’s presence. Tribulational Christians are not translated to new eternal bodies … at least, not until after the Millennium. The raptured Christians do not experience the First Death; the latter group do. Tribulational Christians ALL must face a physical death. [/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt] ALL are certain to become martyrs. [/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]Graciously, tribulational Christians are promised the First Resurrection at the start of the Millennium.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]While both groups of Christians are given eternal life and share a common eternal fate after the Millennium (neither experience the Second Death), their paths, experiences and positions are very different.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Christians During the Time of Wrath[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Without a doubt, people will become believers in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, during the Tribulation Period. As the terror of this time erupts, earth dwellers will come to the recognition that Jesus Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah … the Savior … the Son of God. The state of evil in the world, as well as the appearance of the Antichrist, will be obvious to all. The timing of remaining prophetic events is then no longer entirely speculative. These are clearly seen to be unfolding.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]By the time of the 6th seal (this the most apocalyptic and shaking to that time), it will be clearly obvious to all that the world is facing God’s wrath. In fact, they openly acknowledge this fact, saying, “The great day of their wrath has come” (Revelation 6:17).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]As such, many people do become Christians during the Tribulation. In fact, there are so many that the Bible calls them a “great multitude” (Revelation 7:9).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]However, we may be getting ahead of ourselves. Where does this “multitude” of saints come from, and what is their fate?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The Great Winnowing[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The great winnowing of tribulational Christians from earth is described in Revelation 13:11-17. The False Prophet (the Second Beast) orders all to worship an image of the First Beast, and[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] presses all to take upon themselves the mark of the First Beast, so that they can buy and sell. Those that DO worship the image of the beast and take this mark will be eternally damned (Revelation 14:11). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]What happens to those who DO NOT take the mark of the False Prophet and refuse to worship the image of the beast? The good news: They are redeemed and therefore will not be condemned to the lake of fire. Nevertheless, they will not be spared suffering. These Christians will be killed.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The Bible clearly says that “[…] all those [/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]who refused to worship the image [will] be killed” (Revelation 13:15). Revelation 20:4 confirms this, saying: “[…] I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Again, the goods news amidst the terrors? The tribulational Christians who refuse the “mark” are spared the Second Death. Yet, they must face the First Death before being rewarded with the First Resurrection at the start of the Millennium.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Two Phases of Slain Saints[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]We place the aforementioned events shown in Revelation 13, as occurring sometime between/during the fifth and sixth seals. Events that the Bible describes during these seal judgments closely align with the Great Winnowing.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]To be sure, Christians are already being slain before the fifth seal. We see these first tribulational Christians that are killed shown in Revelation 6:9-11. The Bible says: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Presented here are the souls of the Christians who have been slaughtered between the Rapture and the time of the 5th seal. They are shown under the altar in heaven and are told to stay there “until the full number of their fellow servants” (Revelation 6:11) are killed as they had been. These earlier Christians are waiting until the rest of the martyrs arrive.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]A little later (at the time of the sixth seal), we now see that the “full number” has arrived. As already mentioned, there are so many martyrs at this point that they are called a “great multitude.” John the Revelator says “[…] there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). These souls are identified as coming out of the “tribulation” (Revelation 7:14). They are tribulational martyrs … a very large number. The fact that they now all hold palm branches signifies that they have attained victory and eternal life.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Just what event or development could have caused such a large influx of Christian souls, to have arrived in front of the throne in such a short space of time? According to our understanding, the great winnowing of Revelation 13:11-17 occurred. It is the final “dividing line,” we think. A large number of earth dwellers have refused to take the “mark” and are martyred. By the end of the 6th seal, these souls end up in front of the throne.[/SIZE]

 

[brakelite]

The above post, with all its imaginary permutations and theories and clairvoyant prognostication is why I am totally convinced that the vast majority of people professing Christianity today is going to be deceived...in fact, is already deceived. Still searching to the distant horizon for some imaginary "Antichrist" they are even now cosying up to the real one in a false hope of union against the "future threat" and hoped for "peace and safety".
Ignoring history...ignoring the testimony of the reformers for which they paid the ultimate price, Christianity today is lost in a sea of confusion and politically correct self deception and is about to be swallowed up by a predatory ravenous beast currently in camouflage. Just like the leopard in Revel.13.

 

[logabe]

The above post, with all its imaginary permutations and theories and clairvoyant prognostication is why I am totally convinced that the vast majority of people professing Christianity today is going to be deceived...in fact, is already deceived. Still searching to the distant horizon for some imaginary "Antichrist" they are even now cosying up to the real one in a false hope of union against the "future threat" and hoped for "peace and safety".
Ignoring history...ignoring the testimony of the reformers for which they paid the ultimate price, Christianity today is lost in a sea of confusion and politically correct self deception and is about to be swallowed up by a predatory ravenous beast currently in camouflage. Just like the leopard in Revelation.

What are we going to do when Jerusalem is destroyed?

Logabe

 

[keras]

What are we going to do when Jerusalem is destroyed?

Logabe

We will rebuild. Isaiah 58:12, Isaiah 65:21-23, Jeremiah 30:18 and many other prophesies saying how the Lord's people will go to live in all of the holy Land, soon after He has cleared and cleansed it on His Day of wrath. Deuteronomy 32:43, Isaiah 66:15-16, Revelation 6:12-17

I agree with Brakelite that the modern 'church' is seriously deceived and in a state of torpor about what God has planned for the future. But that is how God wants it, because what must happen will be the great test of faith for everyone.

 

[brakelite]

What are we going to do when Jerusalem is destroyed?

Logabe

Whether Jerusalem is destroyed or not is utterly irrelevant. It bears no relation whatsoever to the church and God's plan of bringing us to Him. I know it will be destroyed, as will every other city and town on the planet. Nothing will be spared in the coming conflagration.
Jeremiah 25:15 ¶ For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;
19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;
20 And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,
21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,
22 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,
23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,
24 And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,
25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,
26 And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
30 ¶ Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

Isaiah 24:17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

The earth and everything upon it will be utterly destroyed, and thus it shall remain for 1000 years until we return from our heavenly mansions with our God in the New Jerusalem when the wicked will be raised to face their final judgment...a fire shall devour them and the devil...the second death....and then upon their ashes there shall be a new heavens and a new earth created in our presence.

Malachi 4:1 ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

The theory that man will live under an earthly reign of Christ for 1000 years is incorrect in my opinion. When Jesus comes the second time He does not touch the earth, but we meet Him in the air, to go with Him to mansions prepared for us in heaven where we will judge angels reigning with Him. When the New Jerusalem comes down at the end of the 1000 years, that is when Christ divides the mount of Olives and from then on the Earth becomes the capital of the universe. (See John 14:1-3)

 

[keras]

Brakelite said: the earth and everything upon it will be utterly destroyed......
This is incorrect, many prophesies say how the Lord will send rain and quickly regenerate the land. Isaiah 49:19, Ezekiel 36:8, Isaiah 29:17, Joel 2:21-24 and many others.

Brakelite said: we will live in heavenly mansions for 1000 years.....
This is wrong and contradicts Jesus Words. John 3:13, John 17:15, Revelation 5:9-10
The so called 'mansions' of John 14:1-3 may be the New Jerusalem, that comes to earth after the Millennium. Jesus is coming back after the Great Tribulation, Matthew 24:30 and His people will be with Him; on earth. Matthew 24:31