It's all preparatory for opening night when the curtain goes up before an auditorium full of people who will then watch as the story unfolds before them.
Shakespeare said it once, "All the world is a stage, and its people, merely players."
Just as each member of a play has a role that comprises of a character, costume and script lines, so also do we all in life - only some characters are more noble than others. In fact, some people play roles that are downright nefarious.
In light of the situation found in this world today, Christians are increasingly apprehensive about how things are developing. Especially here in America which once was free and our culture was based on the Judeo-Christian ethic. No more it seems . . .
It is because of these developments that I want to ask all of us who love the LORD Jesus and His written Word: What role will we take in these final days before His return?
We already know that we are in the last days prior to His return because prophecy is abundantly clear on this matter. His holy, nail pierced feet won't be touching down on the Mount of Olives (ACTS 1:11) in a glorious return to save Israel from her enemies (ISAIAH 63:1-4; 2 THESS 1:8; REV 19:19) until there is an apostasy and the son of perdition has been revealed (2 THESS 2:3) and ruling on planet earth, but the time in which He will snatch His church out of this world to join Him in the clouds (1 THESS 4:16-18; 1 COR 15:51-53), and then onto Heaven's glorious shores could be any moment of any day now.
As we look upon the world stage, the many 'props' are being positioned and getting ready to fulfill their prophetic role. Let's have a look at just a few of these 'props':
There is of course, first and foremost, ISRAEL - a nation from antiquity, reborn after nearly two thousand years in exile; an unprecedented event (May of 1948) that has never seen the like in all of history (ISAIAH 11:11); we have seen the restoration of the Holy City of Jerusalem (REV 11:3-8), brought back under the rule of Israel (1967).
We also know that prophecy indicates that just as Israel is to be brought back into the land, and Jerusalem restored as her capital, the Jews will rebuild their Temple - the apostles John and Paul as well as our LORD Jesus Christ have all stated this is so (MATT 24:15; 2 THESS 2:4; REV 11:1-2). This temple will be desecrated by the Beast and will be disallowed for use by our LORD once He returns to this world. All of these props are in place with the Temple ready for rebuilding at any time.
Another 'prop' is RUSSIA and the many Islamic allies that are joined with the Great Bear in their desire to wipe out Israel.
Long has been the practice of Islamic nations attacking Israel with Soviet technology, and with abject failure, but we see these nations rallying together in proximity to Israel and prepared to go down "into the land of unwalled villages" to "take a spoil" as mentioned in EZEKIEL 38 in the famous battle of Gog and Magog.
For many years after the dismantling of the Soviet Union, the southern border of that country was dominated by states whose populations were in most cases predominently Muslim (Turkmenistan, Kirgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Khazakstan and Azerbeijan); these states had Soviet nuclear weapons in their arsenal and not all of them, to date, are accounted for.
Regardless of these however, the one nation that stands as Magog's chiefest ally on the list mentioned in Ezekiel 38 is Persia - or in today's world, known as Iran.
Interestingly enough, Israel's ancient enemies, Egypt and Babylon (today known as Iraq) are strangely absent from this prophetic list of allies.
As oil is a precious commodity in today's economy and reserves (as we are led to believe) are running low, the search for more oil is leading Israel's enemies to examine what this tiny nation is discovering in her own native land: oil and not in small quantity: more like 1.5 billion barrels worth!
Between this and continued turmoil in the Middle East (thanks to the powerful Islamic propaganda machine that has more or less mimicked Hitler's ploy foisted upon Czechoslovakia), Russia and such allies mentioned in Ezekiel could form a coalition of sorts (similar to that of Desert Storm in '91 in 'saving' Kuwait from Iraq) to invade Israel and stabilize the region but with ulterior motive altogether of wiping the Jewish State off the map. All of these props are in place.
Another huge prop is the European Union, this confederation that is morphing into a singular State with increasing power flowing upwards into the hands of the few, where the common people have little or no say, and the power elite is stretching ever further in the acquisition of more power. Currently there is a search for a single leader to guide this massive entity into an order of a fundamental paradigm shift.
Long recognized by prophecy scholars and authorities as the 'reformed Roman Empire' as spoken of in the Scriptures (DANIEL 2:40-43; 7:7-8), this union is the model for other supra-national conglomerates the world over as seen in Asia, Africa, South America and other 'regions'. It's been the goal of 'the Goblins' to regionalize the world until every nation has lost its independent sovereignty and belongs to a Union of Socialist sensibilities. Once this is accomplished, it would only be a matter of linking these Unions together across the globe to form a One World Government.
What will propel and motivate people into accepting these Unions (with the intent on dissolving present forms of government and what little freedom that is left) is a total global economic melt down which we are seeing on our own American horizons as well as other nations (with the exception of China - - so far!).
What I find especially interesting is that Daniel sees the ten horns (in Ch. Seven representing the ten kings) first and then afterwards sees the little horn (the Beast, commonly called the anti-Christ) arise and replace three of those horns.
Being of pre-millennialist conviction, I understand that the church of Jesus Christ will vacate planet Earth prior to the revealing of the Beast - but there is nothing in Scripture that states we won't be here to witness a one world government.
This expands our target date of evacuation from any time now, up to the establishing of a one world order of government, any time (even just prior) up to the revealing of the Beast of Revelation. These props are quickly being built and set in place.
Just as there is a one world government forming, there is also a one world religion in view on our near horizons (REVELATION 17 and 18), with the dawn of a new age that's been promoted for decades now in the New Age Movement, a major proponent in developing a philosophy and perspective amiable towards syncretism and religious unity through amalgamation.
Spearheading this one world religion is the Roman Catholic Church which is vying for the incontestable leadership of this mutated form of the legitimate church of Jesus Christ. We have discussed this in great detail on TTUF (www.thetruthunderfire.com) and Scripture speaks abundantly of this spiritual mutation as the 'mustard tree', the 'leavened lump', the apostasy and the whore of Babylon. Recently we have published an article about the Roman Catholic Church: Its Dogma and Destiny.
Also you can read the TTUF article The Mother of Harlots Emerges (part One) and read articles associated with this Emergent World Religion, which entails the mysteries as given by Satan (more recently in history) through the "Theosophical Society" and the teachings and writings of "Alice Bailey", its matriarchal leader and the "Emergent Church Movement". You can also look at some "TTUF Profiles" to gain more insight into all of this.
Many have stated, like H.G. Wells (Fabian Socialist and author of such non-fiction books as The New World Order (pub. 1940)) that the one world government will be revealed through and empowered by a one world religion.
Once formerly solid Bible teachers, pastors and leaders are compromising "the faith once delivered unto the saints" (JUDE 1:3) and rather than exposing the leaven of false doctrine of Universalism, they are endorsing it, calling anyone in their flock that oppose them as being "unloving, judgmental, narrow minded" etc.
The props of this global religion are likewise being built with breath taking expediency and set into place.
There are more 'props' that deal with global economy, martial law, internment camps, the isolation and demarkation with potential persecution of biblical Christians via hate crime laws, and still others that we have no time to discuss (though we have on all three of our sites, The TRUTH Under FIRE, FROM the MIND of FIRE, The RED PILL Consortium - links for all of these can be found on each of the three sites); I have but one question for us, the saints of the living God:
WHAT WILL BE YOUR ROLE IN THESE LAST DAYS?
Many are very frightened and decided to become 'preppers' or those who stock pile food, water, fuel . . . even ammunition.
Others are even more extreme and have joined the culture of survivalists with military-style training and equipment; still others have joined militias.
Others are trying to lay low and live 'below the radar' and keeping their faith to themselves, disappearing into nominal, and denominational (dead) churches, hoping to blend in enough to not be noticed - while still others have become a part of the mega-church culture that is concerned with everything but the true Gospel and eternity but merely engaged in 'saving mother earth' by following after the 'Green gospel' or 'saving our culture' with the 'Social justice gospel'.
Others are keeping a smile on their faces and pretending that there is nothing really to worry about (true, for those who are walking with the LORD, and following His Word with upright hearts and lives) because "there's nothing really wrong with our nation and world, contrary to what 'the conspiracy theorists' say" (wrong, for this is indeed the hour of darkness and the "perilous times" (2 TIM 3:1) as predicted in the Scriptures.
All of these roles are ones that I am persuaded our LORD would NOT have us, His children - the saints of the LIVING GOD take up! Nor would He want us to memorize such lines as these would recite on this global stage.
The ROLE that I am convinced of, the one that our LORD desires for us, is the one of the saint who will boldly and fearlessly stand for righteousness and truth; declaring without consideration of the consequences, the Holy Word of Truth and the Gospel of Jesus Christ which alone can save souls!
PSALM 27:1-3
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
PSALM 37:1-7
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
JEREMIAH 17: 5-8
5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
The LORD tells us, as He said to Joshua. "Fear not, neither be dismayed" (JOSH 8:1) and as He said again, underlining it, through the prophet Isaiah:
ISAIAH 41:9-11
9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Rather than fear, let us express faith in the LORD Jesus Christ and trust Him for the empowerment we will need from the Holy Spirit to not recoil but receive - even embrace the opportunities that lie just ahead, wherein we shall be heard loud and clear on the world stage by such an anti-Christ audience that will surely seek to persecute and hate us vehemently, even to the point of martyrdom.
We are commanded militant behavior in our conduct of war against the kingdom of darkness (EPH 6:10-18) but where human souls are concerned, we are ambassadors on a errand of mercy and peace (2 COR 5:20-21); thus WAR and PEACE is our mission from the throne of our LORD!
Due to the length of this article, and because I still have much to say concerning our role in these last days, a Part 2 is available to read.
May the LORD keep you in His grace and peace and allow your minds and hearts to remain in rest upon Him (ISAIAH 26:3).
