Dear Church in the First and Second parts of my message, you would remember that we had classified the Signs of imminent Church Rapture under the following headings...
1. Natural 2. "Battle Royal" 3. Social 4.Historical 5. International 6.Political 7. Pseudo-Spiritual and 8. Commercial.
of which in the first and the second part of my message we had focussed upon the the five signs, today in the concluding part of my message we shall reflect on the final THREE SIGNS beginning with...
VI) POLITICAL
ACTION: Display SIDE BY SIDE of
a) pictures depicting a huge human statue seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and
b) Daniel’s vision of Four beasts’
To understand better the emerging World political scenario which is moving towards the climax of fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies, we need to need to have a closer look at one dream of Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:31-45) and 2 visions of Prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:1-7/21) and Apostle John respectively (Rev 13:7).
Firstly, a look at the similarity of King Nebuchadnezar’s dream and Daniel’s vision, which can be better understood with the help of a table given below…
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream(Daniel 2:31-45) /Daniel’s vision ( Daniel 7:1-7)/Symbolic of an Empire
1. Golden head -- Lion -- Babylonian
2. Silver torso -- Bear -- Medo-Persian
3. Bronze thigh -- Leopard -- Grecian
4. Iron Leg -- 10-horned beast -- Roman empire
5. Feet of Iron and Clay -- The boastful horn -- Anti-Christ or Revived Roman Empire
For a subject within a subject…I am hitting the loop line…
Why did Nebuchadnezzar see the future kingdoms’ as part of a man’s (image) body, whereas Daniel saw them as beasts?
Nebuchadnezzar was an ordinary man, hence with no spiritual discernment, unlike a prophet (1 Cor 2:15) he saw them as parts of a harmless human body, whereas a prophet of God with spiritual insight saw these unregenerate Kingdoms, as what they really are in God’s sight…cruel beasts. When a man commits a murder or a rape, is he not acting like a beast? Yes, all unregenerate souls appear as beasts in the eyes of an omniscient God.Closer to times, can anybody deny that dictators such as Hitler and Stalin had qualities of a beast? Oh for a born-again experience (John 3:3)!!!
Now I am back onto the main track…
Let us look at yet another Slide which would provide us with all the clues’…
ACTION: Display of pictures of
a) 10 -Horned Fourth Beast with LITTLE HORN in front of it
b) Picture of TREATY OF ROME in March 1957
c) Picture of a Divine STONE poised to hit the Human Statue seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s
dream
1. One would observe that the little horn representing the last World power before the Millennial Kingdom is growing from the fourth non-descript beast and NOT from the bodies of the other 3 beasts (also see Dan 7:8 and 21)
2. That little horn representing the Anti-Christ has to have its political roots in the “Roman Kingdom”.
3. That Roman Kingdom is the European Union. In exact fulfillment of the prophecies in March 1957, AT ROME (it could not have happened in any other city…no not even Athens which is part of Europe and the fifth World power), a seed was sown for the birth of European union by what is now popularly known as the “Treaty of Rome”.
4. Anti-Christ’s political and military power would emanate from the European Union. Is it any wonder that EU is fast emerging as a super world power, with the Euro dollar (financial events are a harbinger for the political ones’) already stealing a march over the US dollar.
5. The Stone crushing the World Powers (Daniel 2:34) which is signifying Christ, one would observe is NOT hitting the head, torso, thing or leg of the statue but its FEET which is symbolic of Anti-Christ - the Prophecy of the Armageddon war (Rev 19:19-21).
VII) PSEUDO-SPIRITUAL
This Subject is better dealt under the two sub-headings…
a) Outside the Church
b) Within the Church
Firstly
a) Outside the Church
Consider this Scripture portion
Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world…- Rev 13:11-14
Vis-à-vis
“The secret power of lawlessness is already at work;…” (II Thess 2:7)”
ACTION: Pictures of some False (proven) Indian swamis/Babas’/Godmen
Is there a shortage of fake babas’ and Godmen in this World already…
b) Inside the “Church”
ACTION: Display of picture of Harold Camping
WATCH OUT FOR FALSE PROPHETS. THEY COME TO YOU IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE FEROCIOUS WOLVES- MATT 7:15. THE BIBLE HERALDS ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS’ CAMPING INSIDE THE CHURCH LIKE THIS “FALSE PROPHET” HAROLD CAMPING!!!
NO EARTHLING CAN KNOW THE DATE OF CHURCH RAPTURE (MATT 24:26), SO THOSE WORTHIES WHO CLAIM TO KNOW IT ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
“BEWARE” IS THE CATCH WORD IN THE OLIVETTE DISCOURSE. SO BE BEWARE!!!- MATT 24:5/ MARK 13:5/ LUKE 21:8
Finally
VIII) COMMERCIAL SIGNS
Before we go any further, A QUESTION. Even though the political capital of India is New Delhi tell me what is it’s commercial capital? MUMBAI. Ditto the same with USA and New York...similarly Beijing and Shanghai. During the seven year tribulation too, the Anti-Christ would have both a Political capital (Rome) as well as a Commercial capital. This commercial capital is referred to as BABYLON (Rev 16:19/18-KJV) in the Book of Revelation. Now has this Babylon already arrived?
Going by its detailed description in Chapter 18 of the Book of Revelation can we hazard a guess? No harm in trying to figure out. I want to reiterate that I am not nursing any animosity vis-à-vis any City but through this message I intend to point out how things are panning out as per the Biblical Prophecies
a) At its destruction during Tribulation it is said that
"Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ’Was there ever a city like this great city?’ They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: " ’Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! (Rev 18:17-19)
This passage is a dead giveaway that it would be a PORT CITY.
b) The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men- (Rev 18:11-13)
This passage would indicate that trade of “LUXURIES” (note very few of the above items are basic necessities) flourishes in that city especially of precious metals like gold. Obviously, there are no cumbersome trade regulations. No wonder, this city would be the commercial capital of Anti-Christ’s Empire.
Also from the list of items heavily consumed, especially those such as cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh and frankincense, it would seem that it is surely an Asian city, as there is no great demand for these kinds of items in other continents!
c) When the 7th bowl is poured, on the subject of effects following the most massive Earthquake in human history, Babylon is spoken of immediately after the description of what happens to Jerusalem (Rev 16:19), as though to suggest, it is not very far away from Jerusalem. Then obviously, this city ought to be one of the cities of Gulf countries, which apparently means it belongs to an ISLAMIC STATE.
d) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; -Rev 18:4
Now this would suggest that this city though Islamic and though heavily under the Anti-Christ’s influence has not been averse to efficient and professional secret believers (secret Christians) settling and pursuing a profession or business there. So it is not your typical “Talibanised” Islamic city.
e) In the beginning of the Tribulation, with Anti-Christ feigning as the well-wisher of the Jews, this city from where he travels throughout the World (though belonging to an Islamic state), has to be a one wearing a very futuristic cosmopolitan look(not the typical Islamic look), otherwise Jews would start viewing the Anti-Christ with suspicion.
Though an Islamic city, it should not be so orthodox to rebel against him, when he declares himself as God destroying the False Religious system, he had established
As a representative of the first organized rebellion against God (construction of high Babel Tower) would this City at the time of yet another Great Rebellion against God also boast of a “tower reaching to the skies” – Genesis 11:4?
YES, IT HAS THE TALLEST TOWER IN THE WORLD AND ALSO ALL OF THE FEATURES FITTING THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN IN THE POINTS ABOVE AND THAT CITY IS PRIMA FACIE… HOLD YOUR BREATH…DUBAI, of a booming economy fame refer-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Dubai
Man’s rebellious nature – Times have not changed?
ACTION: Display of pictures of
a) Babel Tower and Dubai Burj (Side by side)
b) Dubai’s Gold market (the biggest in the World)
c) Dubai’s spices’ market ( the biggest in the World)
d) One of the several sprawling shopping malls in Dubai
“The secret power of lawlessness is ALREADY at work;…” (II Thess 2:7)”
THE TRUTH SEEMS CLEAR AS DAYLIGHT! YES, THAT CITY HAS ARRIVED. IT IS WAITING FOR ITS PRINICIPAL OCCUPANT. JUST A MATTER OF TIME? BUT BEFORE THAT, PRAISE GOD, ALL OF US BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS WOULD BE RAPTURED.
ACTION: Display of picture of Rapture
Thumbing my chest, Tarzan-style…I want to proclaim “RAPTURE IS AT HAND”!!! ARE YOU ALERT AND ALERTING OTHERS? If you not yet received Jesus into your life , as yet as personal Lord and Saviour, how about saying this prayer sincerely “Father in heaven, I confess I am a sinner who has lived all my life selfishly on my own terms without ever acknowledging you as my Creator and Sustainer of my life. Today, I welcome Jesus into my life, whom you have fore-ordained as the Saviour of the World. Please forgive all my sins and grant me a new life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen”. Amen and Amen
(Suresh Manoharan)
ps...This Sermon replete with animations/pictures/charts/graphs is available at the following URL...
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_sep1_12.asp
