End Time Preparation
Or
Being Prepared To Endure To The End
Part 2 – Study Lesson 2
An End Time Warning To Consider:
In the article written by Justin D. Ridgeway, entitled, Consider The Ant And Be Wise, the author gave some suggestions from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA offers many helpful hints on how to prepare for disasters. One example is to have a plan for communicating with family members in case of disaster.”
The author continued by stating, “FEMA also encourages citizens to build a supply of canned food and water at home. An easy way to do this is to buy some extra cans of food and a jug of water whenever you go to the grocery store.” These are helpful, but what exactly are we preparing for?
Scripture To Consider:
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter [or by a pre-tribulation rapture theory], as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [that single day of Christ’s coming and His gathering of the saints] will not come unless [or until] the falling away [the departing from the faith] comes first, and the man of sin [the Antichrist] is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts Himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he [the coming end time Antichrist] sits as God in the temple of God [yet to be built temple], showing himself that he [the Antichrist] is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2.1-4
Something To Consider:
Therefore, according to the Word of God, what is it that we as true Christian end time believers, what is it that we should be preparing for? According to our Scripture to consider, the biblical sequence of end time events places the coming of the Antichrist or the lawless one to be before the second coming of Jesus Christ and the gathering or rapture of His saints!
Paul, writing under the influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is very clear and precise pertaining to these four end time events and their sequence. Two end time events, according to God’s Word preclude the coming of Christ and the rapture or gathering of end time saints.
Those two end time events that take place prior to the second coming of Christ are the falling away or the mass departing from the faith and the revelation or unveiling of the man of sin, son of perdition, or Antichrist, Satan’s earthly end time representative.
Something Else To Consider:
How then has the false and unbiblical concept of a pre-tribulation rapture blinded the eyes of so many so-called followers of Christ? How has the delusional lie captivated the masses within so-called Christendom so overwhelmingly in less than approx. 150 years?
Last week we mentioned what Paul revealed about the many unchecked lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, unthankful, unloving, and unforgiving slandering despisers of God pretenders of the faith. “Always learning and never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Jesus declared of Himself in John 14.6; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And because the majority of humankind in every generation since, refuses to come to Jesus, the truth, they have ultimately refused the truth of His Word, the Word of God. And without His truth we will never find the biblically revealed way to the Father, or true abundant life here on earth or in eternity.
In Paul’s follow up to our Scripture to consider, Paul mentions that the lawless one, or Antichrist, is being restrained, no doubt by God who is greater than he who is in the world. Paul also mentioned that the lawless one or Antichrist will be destroyed by the breath of Christ’s mouth at His second coming, which is after the coming of the Antichrist.
But as important, Paul reveals in verse 9-10 of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, “The coming of the lawless one [Antichrist] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because [and this is important] because they did not receive the love of the truth [God’s Word], that they might be saved.”
Something More To Consider:
The not receiving the love of the truth of the Word of God which includes the words of Jesus, leads to a most amazing end time event that leaves me reverently astonished. Paul acknowledges in verse 11; “And for this reason [that the masses refuse to receive the love of the truth of the Word of God] for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Can the false pre-tribulation rapture teaching be the strong delusion spoken of by Paul here in verse 11 of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2? Of course, it cannot be proved or disapproved this side of eternity, but it is a most interesting something more to consider!
A Few Final Words:
What then should we be preparing for? How long should we be preparing for? FEMA suggests storing up food and water for a two-week disaster. The Word of God predicts a much different end time scenario.
Some believe these end time perilous times will last as much as 3-1/2 years of the final 7 years of this earth age. Some believe we should be prepared for the entire 7 final years. As for me and our household, knowing that many, possibly hundreds will seek us out, we are preparing for seven (7) years, and have been for many years. We are not there yet! From our perspective, it is a work in progress.
Next week, we will discuss some end time events in sequential order according to Jesus. For now, let us not be troubled by the truth. Let us not be soon shaken by the wisdom and warnings of the Word of God. Rather, let us be looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus, who for the joy of His experiencing the agony of the cross and its fulfilling redemption’s requirement, therefore, Jesus endured the pain, the shame, and the tremendous suffering of a cruel death upon an old rugged cross.
In Closing:
Therefore, will we be prepared to endure to the end of the suffering and the affliction of the Antichrists and man’s persecution upon those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus? For the heavenly reward for our desiring to live godly in Christ Jesus is our suffering persecution, as was the case with Jesus and many millions since.
But we must receive the love of the truth of the Word of God. We must pledge our allegiance to that truth and to the God of that truth. Therefore, are we prepared to stand firm in our faith and knowledge of the truth?
Let’s Pray:
Our Father in heaven, help us to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and what He is saying to the true church of the living God. Teach us Your Truth, Your way, that we might have new life in Christ and have it more abundantly. Teach us to be prepared to endure to the end in obedience to Jesus. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 