Readings:
Ezekiel 20 & Revelation 121. The First Exodus
The story of ancient Israel's exodus from Egypt is well known. One would
be hard pressed to find a Christian minister who had not, at some time or
another, told his congregation the story.
- Of how Israel (Jacob) and his family settled in Egypt at the invitation of his son Joseph who had saved that country from virtual starvation by preparing for a famine that lasted seven years.
- Of how some years later another Pharaoh arose who knew not Joseph. The new Pharaoh and his people subsequently turned against the Israelites and forced them into brutal slavery.
- Of how, after many years of suffering, JEHOVAH (Yahweh) the Almighty God of Israel, sent His servant Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt on a pre-determined day into the wilderness.
- Of how the Almighty brought Israel to mount Sinai where He made a solemn covenant with His people and gave them His holy law.
- Of how many Israelites rebelled against the Eternal. They complained about the lack of water, the monotonous diet and the leadership of Moses. Those who rebelled all died in the desert.
- Of how for 40 years Israel was miraculously nourished and protected by Yahweh much to the astonishment of all the surrounding nations.
- And eventually of how the Most High led His people into the Promised Land, the land commonly known as Palestine.
These facts are well known, even to the youth of most church groups.
What is not known is that the Almighty is about to organize another
exodus in our day! An exodus with high level features similar in many
ways to that first exodus in the days of Moses. But the coming exodus will
be on an infinitely greater scale than anyone can imagine; for it will
involve believers all over the world. Strange as this may sound, it will not
be an exodus from one particular country to one particular place. Instead it
will be an exodus from the whole of human society to, what the
authorised version calls, the ‘wilderness of the
people.’
2. Two Prophecies
Before going any further, let me introduce you to two Bible
prophecies that tell of this soon-coming event.
The first prophecy is found in chapter 20 of the Old
Testament book of Ezekiel. Read the whole chapter to get a
better picture of this almost incredible eventuality. Whilst
reading, try to appreciate the Almighty's amazement and sorrow
at His people's continued rejection of His law, particularly
His Sabbath laws. Note also His rising frustration as He
outlines His plan to gather Israel (and this includes true
believers in His Son who are grafted into the Olive of Israel)
and lead them into the ‘wilderness of the
people.’ Bear in mind that this is not an
exodus from the four corners of the earth to the present
land of Israel; a phenomenon which has already been
in progress for the better part of this century. No, this
is a high level exodus from human society to a location the
Eternal calls the ‘wilderness of the people,’
a term never used when referring to the present land of
Israel.
In that ‘great desert’
the Almighty plans to ‘plead with His people face to
face, just as He pleaded with Israel of old in the desert of
Egypt.’ The very concept that we are being
invited to consider here is breath-taking to say the least;
and were it not so well documented in Scripture we would be
amongst the first to dismiss it without further thought.
But it is there for examination and it would be foolish to
ignore it. In that ‘wilderness’
the Most High plans further to individually identify His people
like a shepherd marks His flock: and to purge out rebellion
against His holy law, especially His Sabbath law. Then He
plans to bring His people into, what He calls, ‘the
bond of the covenant.’
All this is scheduled to occur before He leads us
into ‘His holy mountain in the height of
Israel:’ a high and holy state which is
foreshadowed by the present mount Zion in the land of
Palestine. Now for proof of this amazing prospect.
Ezekiel 20: | 34: “And I will bring you out from the people, and
will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a
mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35: And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36: Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. 37: And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38: And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the countries where they sojourn, and they shall not enter the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 39: As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. 40: For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. 41: I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.” |
The second prophecy is found in the New Testament book
of Revelation. It tells of how Jehovah (Yahweh) plans to take
His wife (His faithful people) into the wilderness for a period
of 1260 days (3.5 years) where she will be miraculously
nourished and protected from attack by Satan the Devil.
Revelation 12: | 1: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3: And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4: And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5: And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne. 6: And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 7: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8: And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10: And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12: Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13: And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14: And to the woman were give two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time from the face of the serpent. 15: And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16: And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” |
Briefly, that is what lies ahead for the church of the Most High:
a soon-coming exodus from human society to the
‘wilderness of the people.’
An exodus to a place where she will be protected and miraculously
fed for a period of 1260 days out of the reach of Satan the
Devil and out of the reach of the
Antichrist. In that
wilderness Yahweh will bring His people to the real ‘Mount
Zion, a high and holy mountain’ and into the
‘bond of the covenant.’ In other words,
He will bring us into His very presence and overwrite our minds and
actions with His holy law, His character and His Name. Then we will
be an absolutely sanctified and holy people for the very first time
in our lives. That is what being brought
‘face to face’ and into the
‘bond of the covenant’ means. Those who
knowingly rebel against this divine plan will not enter the real
Promised Land, the eternal inheritance of the saints. Note the
phrase ‘I will be sanctified in you before the
heathen.’
The second exodus, in other words, is a work of sanctification
which will take place in full view of the heathen: for the Eternal
intends to vindicate His Name, His law and His slandered reputation
once and for all before the peoples of the world and before the angel
host above! That is what these prophecies are saying!
3. Important Questions
“But,” you may well ask: “Where
is this wilderness?” Is it a desert in the Middle East
or some other area on earth? How will I get there? And if I'm to
go, how will I survive in a ‘wilderness?’ More
importantly, ‘how will Yahweh’s people know when to
go?’ Without reasonable answers to such questions the very
idea of another exodus to a wilderness is a non-starter.So let me
first briefly list the events that will lead up to a world situation
where this seemingly impossible eventuality not only
becomes likely, but inevitable.
4. The Seven Seals of Revelation
In our booklet
Understand the Revelation
the future of mankind as recorded by the Apostle John is explained.
If you haven't already studied the on-line booklet, then now is the
time to do so: because this file assumes that you are acquainted with
end-time prophecy. For those who are not, the seven seals of the
Revelation are briefly listed and explained below to show how
just such a situation will arise when the Almighty's obedient servants
will be compelled to leave human society.
- 1st SEAL
- A White Horse: symbolizing the advance of Truth.
- 2nd SEAL
- A Red Horse: symbolizing War, Revolution and Bloodshed.
- 3rd SEAL
- A Black Horse: symbolizing Famines world-wide.
- 4th SEAL
- A Pale Horse: symbolising Disease epidemics.
- 5th SEAL
- Souls under the Altar: symbolizing further persecution.
The events under these five seals have already begun. Bear in mind that as each horse enters the arena, earlier riders continue on course. In other words, when the last rider joins the field, all four horses are galloping over the earth.
In (2012) we are here - awaiting the 6th Seal. - 6th SEAL
- The sun goes out, the moon turns red, meteorites in
their thousands are seen, the sky is rolled back and there
is a global earthquake which shakes every mountain and every
island on earth!. These events cause world-wide panic!
The events under this Seal have obviously not yet occurred: for never has mankind run to the rocks and mountains to hide from Him who sits on the throne of the universe. Many people in the West do not even believe the Almighty exists, let alone attempt to hide from His presence.
The 144,000 Servants of God (Revelation 7) are then sealed. In other words, this sealing work has also not occurred: but will take place before the hurting of the earth, the sea and the trees under the 7th Seal. The 144,000 are sealed and signed by the Holy Spirit with Yahweh's Name: which represents His character, His law, His absolute holiness, kindness, mercy and truth. We repeat, this sealing work is still future. - 7th SEAL This seal is sub-divided into 7 Trumpets. The first four trumpets hurt the trees, oceans, rivers and the solar system.
- 1st Trumpet
- A third of the trees and all the grass is burned.
- 2nd Trumpet
- A third of the sea becomes like the blood of a dead man.
- 3rd Trumpet
- A third of all river water becomes undrinkable.
- 4th Trumpet
- Sun, moon and stars are darkened by a third.
- 5th Trumpet: 1st WOE (Revelation 9: 1-12)
- The Bottomless Pit is opened at this trumpet and the Beast (the Antichrist) ascends from it to torment mankind for a period of 5 months. Only the sealed servants of God are protected from his tortures.
- 6th Trumpet: 2nd WOE (Revelation 9: 13 to Revelation 11: 14)
- During this Woe the following events occur:
- Four demons are released from the Great River Euphrates; a spiritual concourse on which sits Satan's mighty capital city Babylon the Great. Leading an army of 200,000,000 evil angels, they slaughter a third of mankind1 (Revelation 9: 15)
- Jerusalem is conquered by Gentile nations and ruled for a period of 42 months. (Revelation 11: 2)
- The Two Witnesses prophesy during this period of 1260 days. At the end of this time they are killed in Jerusalem by the Beast (the Antichrist) who ascended from the Abyss at the 1st Woe.
- 7th Trumpet: 3rd WOE (Revelation 11: 15 to Revelation 19: 21)
- During this Woe, which also lasts 3.5 years, these events occur.
- There is a war in heaven. Satan and his angels are cast down to the earth; where he begins to persecute the woman who brought forth the man child. (Yehshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ)
- Satan then empowers the Antichrist to rule all nations under a New World Government. At about this stage the peoples of all nations are compelled to receive the Mark of the Beast. Without the Mark no one can buy or sell. It is this application of sanctions against individuals who refuse to accept the Antichrist's Mark that makes it impossible for obedient believers to remain in human society. Bear in mind that until such time as the Mark becomes compulsory, no one has it. The coming exodus will occur AFTER the Mark of the Beast becomes law throughout the world!
- Angered by the woman’s refusal to worship him, and
unable to harm her because she is now protected in the great
wilderness, Satan then turns on members of the remnant
church still in human society. These believers probably
consist of:
- The 144,000 Prophets who continue to preach the LORD's last- day message to a rebellious world. Repentance at this late stage is still possible, but rarely expressed. (Revelation 16: 9)
- Those who respond to the message of the 144,000. They had previously refused Yahweh's Seal, but now endeavour to ‘wash their robes.’ That is, they now begin to keep the commandments they had previously violated.
- The seven last plagues occur under this Woe.
- Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) returns to earth at the end of this last trumpet. The dead in Christ are raised to life and the church in the wilderness is clothed with immortality.
- The Antichrist is put to death at Messiah's return and Satan the Devil is placed in the Abyss for a thousand years.
- The millennium reign then begins.
5. The Coming World Government
You will see from the foregoing, that in 2012 we are still awaiting
the events under the 6th Seal: which, of course, could burst
upon us any day! Once the events under that seal begin, they
will move so rapidly that most of the human race will be taken
completely by surprise. It will be at about that time that the
new world government will rise to devour the whole earth.
(Daniel 7:23) The new world order is already in the making.
One can see it in the way business organisations are becoming
internationalised: and how economic sanctions, when applied,
overcome the most powerful of nations. The devastation sustained at
the 6th Seal and the first four trumpets of the 7th Seal
will speed this process. Using economic sanctions as its main
weapon, the new world order will be very different from the military
empires that have gone before. Under it the greed for gold will
decimate earth's natural resources. At its head will be the Antichrist,
the Son of Hell, who, as the little horn of Daniel's
prophecy, will even dare to challenge the Almighty God and pollute
His heavenly sanctuary. (Daniel 8:9-27) The Antichrist will be
worshipped by the terrified human race as the only one capable of
saving humanity from its myriad problems. We are told in Bible
prophecy that he will reveal himself and be worshipped as God!
When he arrives he will become immensely popular and will vainly
attempt to annul the Almighty's Sabbath and Festival
commandments by instituting his own. (Daniel 7:25)
6. Miracles and Lying Wonders
The Bible tells us that many false prophets,
all claiming to be spokesmen of the Almighty, will arise in the last days.
They will perform astonishing
Miracles,
and cures which will deceive multitudes into rejecting
the commandments of the Eternal.
Matthew 24: | 24: “For there shall arise false Christ's, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” |
Miracles and lying wonders are already being performed all over the earth.
Virtually every religion can boast its miracle-workers: so-called holy men
who can walk on fire, heal the sick, speak in tongues and perform many
other astonishing feats. But most of these miracle-workers reject the law of
the Most High, claiming that it is obsolete. These men are false prophets.
Like the magicians of Pharaoh they can do mighty miracles, but they
despise the law of the Almighty; and in doing so they lead multitudes into
error. The remnant church, incidentally, is recognized, not by its ability to
do miracles or speak in tongues, but by its obedience to Yahweh's
eternal law.
Revelation 12: | 17: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” |
All this means, that the only believers who will see through the final
deception, which will be accompanied by breath-taking miracles, will be
those who obey the commandments of the Most High. All others will be
deluded into accepting miracles as evidence of the Holy Spirit and will end
up believing that evil is good and good is evil.
7. When will the Coming Exodus Occur?
You will see from the foregoing that the final events under the 7th Seal
are scheduled to last about seven years: and that the predicted exodus to
the wilderness will occur during the second half of that seven year period.
How near, then, is the start of that seven year period? The following
details are given to show that we are fast approaching that starting date.
Man's allocated term of 6000 years will be over in about 10 or 11 years'
time. In other words, the starting date for the last 7 year period (when
the seven trumpets begin to sound) is only about 3 or 4 years away!
Could it be that the Almighty's millennial Sabbath is so near? World
events lead me to believe that it is.
- AM means anno mundi (in the year of the world)
- BC means before Christ.
- AD means anno Domini (in the year of our Lord)
Ante Deluvian Patriarchs | Year | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Genesis 1:27 | Adam created in the God's own image | in year | 0 | |
Genesis 5:3 | Seth born when Adam was | 130 | in year | 130 |
6 | Enos born when Seth was | 105 | in year | 235 |
9 | Cainan born when Enos was | 90 | in year | 325 |
12 | Mahalaleel born when Cainan was | 70 | in year | 395 |
15 | Jared born when Mahalaleel was | 65 | in year | 460 |
18 | Enoch born when Jared was | 162 | in year | 622 |
21 | Methuselah born when Enoch was | 65 | in year | 687 |
25 | Lamech born when Methuselah was | 187 | in year | 874 |
28 | Noah born when Lamech was | 182 | in year | 1056 |
Genesis 7:11 | The Flood came when Noah was | 600 | in year | 1656 |
Post Deluvian Patriarchs | Year | |||
Genesis 11:10 | Arphazad born 2 years after flood | 2 | in year | 1658 |
12 | Salah born when Arphazad was | 35 | in year | 1693 |
14 | Eber born when Salah was | 30 | in year | 1723 |
16 | Peleg born when Eber was | 34 | in year | 1757 |
18 | Reu born when Peleg was | 30 | in year | 1787 |
20 | Serug born when Reu was | 32 | in year | 1819 |
22 | Nahor born when Serug was | 30 | in year | 1849 |
24 | Terah born when Nahor was | 29 | in year | 1878 |
26 | Abram born when Terah was | 130* | in year | 2008 |
21:5 | Isaac born when Abraham was | 100 | in year | 2108 |
25:26 | Jacob born when Isaac was | 60 | in year | 2168 |
Total | 2168 |
*Abraham was the youngest of Terah's three sons. In (Genesis 12: 4) we read that at 75 years of age he departed
from Haran when Terah died there at the age of 205 years. (Genesis 11 :32) We now deduct 75 from 205 to get Terah's age at
Abraham's birth. i.e. 130 years.
Israel’s sojourning | ||
---|---|---|
Genesis 12:1-4 | Yahweh called Abram out of Mesopotamia when he was 75 years old. This call came (2008 + 75) in year | 2083 |
Exodus 12:40 Galatians 3:16-17 | Israel's sojourning was to last 430 years after the covenant with Abram. ( 2083+430=2513 ) This brings us to Israel's EXODUS from Egypt in year | 2513 |
Solomon’s Temple | ||
1 Kings 6:1 | Building operations started 480 years after the Exodus. (2513+480 = 2993) in year | 2993 |
1 Kings 6: 37-38 | Building operations finished in 7 years, in year | 3000 |
The Birth of Jesus Christ | ||
The Saviour was born in the year 3996 A.M. (see References) | 3996 | |
The Current Year ... 1994 | ||
Add 1994 years to 3996 and we arrive at the AM year | 5993 |
This means that we are about 10 years from the end of the 6000 year
period: which we believe has been allocated to mankind before Yahweh's
millennium Sabbath begins. It also means that we are only about 3 years
from the start of those end-time prophecies which are scheduled to last
about 7 years. We use the word 'about' because chronologists differ by a
few years when computing the year of the Saviour's birth. See articles
Time is Short
and
Questions Concerning Time.
References
Archbishop Ussher
n the 17th century Archbishop Ussher of Armagh devised a system of
dating history back to the creation of the world. A wall chart based on his
dates is published by Studio Editions Ltd. 50 Eastcastle St, London WIN
7AP (ISBN 85170 149 4) Some authorised versions of the Bible show
Ussher's dates and place Christ's birth at the AM year 4004.
J B Dimbleby & Others
J B Dimbleby, astronomer, chronologist and author of the book entitled
ALL TIME PAST, differs from Archbishop Ussher by some 8 years.
Along with other chronologists, Dimbleby calculates that the creation
occurred 3996 BC, not 4004 BC. According to Dimbleby and
others we will reach the 6000 year mark between 2001 AD & 2005 AD.
The Jewish Calendar
The Jewish calendar, I understand, dates back to the birth of Seth's son
Enos in the year 235 AM. In the Jewish calendar the year 1993/4 is year
5754 AM. Add 235 years to 5754 and we arrive at the year 5989 AM.
In other words, by the Jewish calendar the year 1993/4 is also about 11
years away from the 6000 year mark!
8. What Does all this Mean?
It certainly doesn't mean that A Voice In The Wilderness - Canada
is forecasting the year of Christ's return. The
Saviour made it abundantly clear that no man can do this.
Mark 13: | 32: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” |
But even though we do not know the exact year, the event will not catch us
unawares as a thief in the night. To be sure it will surprise the unbelieving
world; but the alert believer should be expecting it
1 Thessalonians 5: | 4: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” |
We know enough to realize that the Saviour's return is very near: much
nearer than millions of Christians remotely imagine. For example:
- We know that the end-time signs listed in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are occurring all over the earth: wars, famines, disease epidemics, earthquakes, widespread lawlessness and a falling away from the faith.
- We believe that the CREATOR is working to a Sabbatical Principal:
a timetable patterned on the seven day week: a timetable in
which a thousand of our years is like one day to Him.
2 Peter 3: 8: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” - We also believe that we are about 10 or 11 years from the end of
man's allocated time of 6000 years: a period, incidentally, that is to
be cut short!
Matthew 24: 22: “And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.” - We know, moreover, that the time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation (the 2300, 1335, 1290 and 1260 day periods) are all scheduled to occur ‘at the crisis at the end of the world;’ during a period lasting about seven years. (Daniel 8: 17-26, Daniel 12: 8-9)
9. The Exodus Signal
Yes, these are details we already know. But what will be the signal for
the coming exodus to the wilderness? How will we know when and
where to go: if, indeed, we have to go anywhere? Will the signal be
persecution, famine or disaster? Or are we to wait for some charismatic,
miracle-working cult leader to lead us out of town? No, it will be none of
these things. Over the centuries the church has lived through scores of
persecutions, famines and disasters. As for miracle-working cult leaders
posing as Christ's spokesmen, that is probably the most dangerous
deception of all; because many deluded souls end up either believing them or
dismissing Christianity as a farce fit only for small children, old people
and Bible-thumping weirdos. All three options are tragedies, because the
Saviour is definitely going to return to earth soon, even though we do not
know the exact year.
Nevertheless the question still remains: What will be the signal or sign
for the coming exodus to the wilderness? Our answer is based on
Scripture and you must bear it in mind in the years ahead. The coming
exodus to the great wilderness will not take place until the following events
have occurred. The signal, in short, is a series of events. I list them:
- The incidents recorded under the 6th Seal must first happen. These include a global earthquake, a darkened sun, a blood-red moon, falling stars (meteorites) and blind panic around the world.
- The 144,000 prophets of God must then be sealed. When sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit, this group will proclaim the Everlasting Gospel to all the world. The Everlasting Gospel is described in the Gospel Library and is briefly outlined in the next section.
- The events recorded under the first 4 Trumpets of the 7th Seal must then occur. These trumpets, we are told, hurt (devastate) the earth, sea, trees, grass, rivers of water and even the sun and moon.
- The Antichrist must then make his appearance, take over the governments of the entire world and be worshipped as God!
- A third of earth’s population (some 2,000,000,000 people) must then die! Read about this astonishing fact in (Revelation 9: 13-18).
- Jerusalem must be captured by the Gentiles and be held by them for a period of 42 months. (Revelation 11: 2)
- The Two Witnesses must first appear and preach to all the world for this same period of 42 months. (Revelation 11: 3-4)
- Peoples of all nations must find themselves forbidden to buy and sell unless they accept the Mark of the Beast. (Revelation 13: 16-17)
- Signs in the sun, moon and stars must coincide with the Feast days in the sacred calendar as promised in (Genesis 1: 14). This amazing phenomenon is explained here in The Sacred Calendar of the God of Israel.
- Most likely, at that time, the Almighty will send holy angels to lead us out of civilization. He did this in the case of Lot before He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah: and here we have a destruction infinitely greater than that of Sodom.
You may be sure that until the above mentioned events occur, the world is
not coming to an end and Yahweh's church will not be leaving human
society. Cult leaders, miracle workers, speakers in tongues and prophets of
doom may rant and rave about the end of this age: but it will not come until
all the above events take place. Bible prophecy is the safest guide we have
concerning the Almighty's plans. Those who ignore Bible prophecy are blind
leaders of the blind. We repeat, only after the above events have happened,
will the church be taken into the 'wilderness of the people' where it will be
brought into the 'bond of the covenant' and be 'sanctified' for all
the inhabitants of the universe to see.
10. Where is the Wilderness of the People?
In my opinion, that wilderness is not a physical desert at all.
It is a high level spiritual experience which we will enter when
we are driven out of human society because we refuse to break Yahweh's
law by accepting the Beast's Mark. It is a desert of rejection and
isolation, where even food and fuel will be forbidden us, because
of our stand for the Sabbaths of the Most High. Economic sanctions
against the obedient church will then alienate it from all the world.
We will be expelled from human society as Israel of old was thrust out
of Egypt. Like spiritual aliens unfit for the new world order, circumstances
will force the church into the ‘wilderness of the people.’
Life will be as hard there as it is when trying to survive in a literal desert.
Exodus 12: | 39: “...they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry...“ |
Geographically this wilderness will be in all nations. That is why
it is called the ‘wilderness of the people.’
If this is the case, then Yahweh's church will not be gathered to
a single location; but, instead, will be divinely led out of human
society and sustained at selected sites scattered throughout the
world. The Almighty has promised to nourish and protect
us just as He did Israel of old in the desert of Sinai. The unbelieving
world will marvel when they see that miracle take place before their
own eyes. The church is also going to witness the effect of the seven
last plagues on the very society which so foolishly thrust it out.
Psalm 91: | 3: “Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4: He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5: Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6: Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7: A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at the right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8: Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9: Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation. 10: There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11: For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” |
11. The Everlasting Gospel
What is the Everlasting Gospel? As its name implies, it is
the good news that will never cease to apply: the
good news that contains the key to life everlasting. Most
Christians already know the Gospel, or the first part of it at
any rate. But for those who may not know, here is the Everlasting
Gospel that will be preached by the 144,000 during the
closing days of this age. Bear in mind that this age, man's
allocated 6000 year period, is coming to its end. When the
events under the 6th Seal occur, the human race will
hear the following message proclaimed with a power never
witnessed in history.
Revelation 14: | 6: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” |
From this it is evident that the Everlasting Gospel consists of a twin call to:
- “Fear God.”
This means, stand in respectful awe of the Almighty: have faith in Him and give Him the glory that is His due. This part of the everlasting gospel is proclaimed by virtually every Christian denomination on earth. It was voiced by the apostle Paul when he was asked the way of salvation by his jailer.
Acts 16: 30: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” - “Worship Him that made the heavens, the earth, the sea and
the fountains of waters.”
This is obviously a call to reject the unproved theory of evolution and to worship the Creator, the One who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the fountains of waters. How does a believer testify to his/her belief in the Creator? The answer is by keeping the seventh day Sabbath which is the divinely appointed memorial of the creation.
Exodus 20: 8: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.”
Do you see the connection in worshipping Him that created the
universe and keeping the Sabbath - the appointed memorial
of that creation? The second part of the Everlasting Gospel,
the neglected part, is a call to worship the Creator; and to declare
your worship by keeping the seventh day Sabbath, which is the divinely
appointed memorial of His creation. The message of the 144,000 in the
last days will include this call to honour the Creator by observing
the seventh day Sabbath. Obedience is a dirty word these
days. Many Christians incorrectly suppose that when a group teaches
obedience, they are teaching ‘salvation by works.’
This is a sad mistake, if ever there was one: because obedience
is simply faith in action. Obedience is living faith.
Indeed, where there is no obedience, there is no faith.
When asked the way to eternal life, the Saviour gave this amazing answer:
Matthew 19: | 16: “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” |
A Voice In The Wilderness - Canada letterhead contains the words:
“Fear God, and keep His
commandments.”
That is the Everlasting Gospel
in a single sentence. It is found in (Ecclesiastes 12: 13) and it
encompasses the whole duty of mankind - for all time! In New Testament
terms it means: Have faith in God and obey Him. We hope and pray
that Yahweh will grant you the wisdom to take that advice to heart.
We are now approaching the final stages in world history: and the time
is going to be cut short! The 6th Seal is about to occur any day now.
You do not have much time to mentally and spiritually prepare for the
events that will follow that seal. To help you further understand
end-time prophecy and the Almighty's amazing plan to save mankind
from eternal death, turn to the
Prophecy Library which includes:
- Understand the Revelation
- Who/What is the Antichrist?
- What is his Mark?
- The 2300 Day prophecy of Daniel 8 explained
- The 144,000 Who are They?
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