A Perfectly Prophetic Storm

A Perfectly Prophetic Storm

by Michael G. Mickey
(3-26-08)

Mark 13:8: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

The beginnings of sorrows? I would say we're there with no let-up in sight this side of the Rapture of the Church.

An MSNBC report from just a few days ago indicates that:

"...consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions. Freak weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in China and India.

The world’s poorest nations still harbor the greatest hunger risk. Clashes over bread in Egypt killed at least two people last week, and similar food riots broke out in Burkina Faso and Cameroon this month."

People being killed in clashes for bread? Yes - and it's only going to get worse in the prophetic future.

Revelation 6:5-6: And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

The passage above foresees a food shortage of unprecedented proportions coming to pass in the prophetic future - one that will be so far-reaching it will essentially cost a worker a day's wages to buy the ingredients for a loaf of bread!

A storm is coming! Don't get caught out in it!

There is a perfect storm of prophetic proportions brewing in the world around us here in these last days. Reading the headlines of our world today is liking tearing a page from the Bible containing descriptors provided by the Apostles, Prophets and Christ Himself concerning what the world of the last days would look like leading up to Jesus Christ's return, both for His Church and, later, to establish His kingdom here on earth at the end of the Tribulation Period to come.

As we witness signs on every side of us pointing toward Christ's soon-coming return, there are those today who are, remarkably, encouraging Christians to cease in their watch for the Rapture of the Church to occur.

These apostate messengers want to convince the Church that there isn't going to be a pre-trib Rapture of the Church. These want the Church to be looking around themselves like scared rabbits when a pack of wolves is approaching instead of looking up for the redemption that we are plainly told in Scripture to watch for when these things begin to happen (Luke 21:28), not when they're all over and the only thing left to happen is for the return of Jesus Christ to occur visibly, physically, and bodily at the battle of Armageddon!

Jesus Christ said, "Behold, I come quickly!" He didn't say, "Behold, I come LASTLY!" Yet, the latter is what some are feeling 'led' to tell the Church these days to the detriment of its well-being I might add.

If Christ wasn't coming quickly but lastly, He wouldn't have told us to be sober and watching (1st Thessalonians 5:6) for Him to return like a "thief in the night" (1st Thessalonians 5:3) nor would He have told us "hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown!" (Revelation 3:11)

And what, exactly, was it Christ was telling us to hold fast so we would not lose our crown? When we look at Revelation 3:10, we find that one of the qualities those spiritually prepared to meet the Lord at the Rapture of the Church will yet possess is what He refers to as "the word of my patience."

The original Greek for the word patience is hypomonē (hü-po-mo-nā') which is defined as "a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance."

A storm is blowing in, Christians! The clouds are beginning to gather before our eyes and are beginning to darken in preparation for fulfillment of God's Word to occur. Frightening though these clouds may appear in a sense, this is not the hour for us to be on wobbly knees spiritually. This is the hour for us to demonstrate to the Lord the patient, enduring, sustaining and perseverant faith that has brought us all through cloud-darkened valleys before!

I've probably heard from thousands of people over the course of my years working on this site who believe with all their heart there isn't going to be a Rapture of the Church so, instead of watching for the return of Jesus Christ, they spend their days waiting to see the Antichrist come to power and, I suppose, to get their heads lopped off at some point. I don't find a warning anywhere in my Bible to do that. In fact I don't see even one word of advice concerning how the Church should prepare itself to ride out the Tribulation Period at all, probably because the Tribulation Period is an hour of trial for them who dwell on the earth! Not us, the Church, but them, the world!

Don't take my word for what I'm saying. Look it up for yourself in Revelation 3:10. Those who can't tell that two different groups of people are being addressed in Revelation 3:10 need to pull their spiritual blinders off because "thou", "thee", and "them" are not descriptive of people headed to the same destination in that passage of Scripture.

The "thou" and "thee" of Revelation 3:10 is going to be kept from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Now, let's be clear here. The "thou" and "thee" of Revelation 3:10 is speaking of you if you're a Christian. Christians are not appointed to wrath as we're told in 1st Thessalonians 5:9. The Church is not in need of being subjected to the temptation, horrific trial and yes, the wrath of God that will fall upon the world during the Tribulation Period.

If you're a believer in Jesus Christ who is faithfully awaiting His return, don't plan on being disappointed nor lend an ear to those who would cost you the crown of righteousness that will be presented unto all them that love his appearing. (2nd Timothy 4:8)

In times like these, I don't blame anyone for stocking some supplies in anticipation of potentially trying times that may lie ahead but remember this: When you're approached by someone peddling a false doctrine that would have you to abandon your faithful watch for the return of Jesus Christ, a quick read of Revelation 3:10 should bring you back to reality, give you peace and renew your faith in our Blessed Hope. (Titus 2:13)

For more information that is scripturally-based on the Rapture of the Church, click HERE.

If you're not a Christian and would like to learn how you can come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior this side of the Rapture of the Church, click HERE.

If you're reading this and suspect the Rapture of the Church may have occurred and you have been left behind, click HERE or HERE for information that may be of benefit to you. I warn you that this information may be quite frightening to you but, if you suspect you've been left behind, there's no need for anyone to approach this topic gently with you at this point.