Beast

"Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name." - Revelation 13:16-17

There are a lot of weird things happening in our world these days. And I'm not just talking about what goes on in Washington D.C. American politics are not only weird, they're disgusting. But I'm sure that head-shaking politicians are the same wherever you happen to be. I'm talking about WEIRD stuff happening in our world. Biblically weird stuff.

Many people whose opinions I respect, feel that we are living in the end times. Just the other day I heard my very traditional wife say,"Time is short." and "Another sign of the coming apocolypse." She said these things after finding her usually helpless husband doing the dishes one day. Ok, I made that last one up.

Seriously though, there's definitly some weird stuff going on. Biblically weird. For example, did you know that right now there is a plague of locusts infesting Egypt? Right now! I'm serious! Read about it here: Plague of Locusts

If you have a Bible handy, take a look at the Book of Joel. What's the heading of chapter One? Mhmm. An Invasion of Locusts. Keep reading. The headings following this first one outline what will happen. A Call to Lamentation, And army of Locusts, Rend Your Heart, The Lord's Answer, The Day of the Lord, The Nations Judged, Blessings for God's People. The locusts were a warning to repent.

Not only do plagues appear in the Old Testament, but they also appear in the New Testament book of Revelation as a sign that the end of the world is near. Revelation 9:3 - "And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth."

So, I got to thinking, what other signs of the end of the world are in the news these days? If we are really that close to the end there should be other news stories of other signs, right?

Read and weep. The following are news stories I found yesterday during my lunch hour.

One World Religion

Purpose Driven and seeker-sensitive Pastor Rick Warren, Willow Creek's Bill Hybels, the President's spiritual advisor Jim Wallace, Emergent Church leader Tony Jones and several other notable "Christians" took a step closer to a one-world faith with their signing of a document responding to a letter from Muslim leaders to Christians (A Common Word). Here's a link to the list of signatories. A Christian response. Anyone YOU know?

We're also supposed to have a one-world currency (Rev 13)

One World Currency

Here's a story with an amazing picture. A sea turned "blood" and a verse from Revelation to go with it.

"The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea." - Revelation 16:3

Sea Turns Red

Coincidence? Check this out. On March 20th, president Barrack Obama will visit Israel. He has never done that in his 4 1/2 years as president. Yet he is going now. Why? Did you know that March 20th marks the day when Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey (Nissan 9-10). Obama is a democrat. What's the symbol of the democartic party? Mhmm. A donkey.

Do you know what the Secret Service nickname for the president is? It's The Renegade. A renegade is a "lawless one."

And when the president travels he usually takes his own bullet-proof car. Do you know what they call his car? The Beast. So on March 20th the Lawless One, The Beast will enter Jerusalem. With him he will bring an "abomination" as the first president to openly support gay marriage - considered by God to be an abomination . . . Obama Nation.

The words of Jesus spoken in Matthew 24 - “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

During the tribulation we will not be able to buy anything unless we have "the mark of the beast." Check this link out that documents a program outlined in the recently passed ObamaCare legislation that calls for us all to receive a sub-cutaneous tracking device. The legislation our congress signed . . . without reading.

Mark of The Beast

 

And I wonder why reporters are asking President Obama this week if he is going to orchestrate a peace treaty with Israel? If he does, and if it last for seven years . . .

 

Seven year treaty??

 

All these things are happening right now. So is the end of the world near? Quite possibly. But, as Jesus told us in Matthew 24:15 - "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

 

So what do we do? How can we be prepared. We as a nation have distanced ourselves from Israel - God's chosen people. We as a nation have turned our backs on God Himself - removing His words from our schools. Apostacy is seeping into our churches. And, to borrow a line from The Ghostbusters movie, "Dogs and Cats, living together. Mass hysteria!"

 

What can we do? Still got your Bible open to Joel? Repent, humble ourselves before the Lord, ask His forgiveness and then "go, and sin no more."

 

Whether you buy all this end times stuff or not, whether you feel the end of the world is right around the corner or not, this much is true. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ who died for us - an atonement for our sins. He was crucified and died, but then he was raised from death to life by his Father in heaven. He is alive today, his return to this fallen world already planned. He WILL come again. He promised. Prepare yourselves by surrendering your lives to him now. You WILL be saved. The words of Jesus . . .

 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

 

 Special thanks to Stand Up For The Truth for their inspiration in writing this post.