Coming Soon to The Earth*

      This message comes after last week's message about redeeming the time. It is about what we are seeing now and what we will see in the days ahead as Christ's return draws nearer.

     Paul wrote to Timothy of the things that were coming: "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away..." (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Those who are sin laden and lust-filled will be easily led away as there will be a seeking of new ideas and learning but without ever learning the truth of God. (v. 6-7). Never before have we seen such advances in computing, even to the development of Artificial Intelligence. We also have certainly witnessed in our time the moral, ethical and spiritual decay that Paul described here.

     The prophet Daniel prophesied a time of great trouble, especially for Israel, that has never been witnessed before and requiring angelic intervention and battle. It will be a time when the wise will have the opportunity to shine like the stars as they lead others to righteousness. Many who have died shall be raised - some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. As Paul wrote to Timothy, Daniel also prophesied: "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Dan. 12:1-4). Daniel wrote that it would be a time period of 3 1/2 years when these things would be finished. Many will be purified and made white but the wicked would continue to do wickedly: "...none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." There will come a time when the daily sacrifice (in the temple) will be taken away and the abomination that makes desolate will occur. (Dan. 12:1-13). This means that a daily sacrifice will have been established, and a third temple will be built in Jerusalem. Items needed for temple worship have already been prepared in Israel, and events have taken place by which Israel has taken control and authority over the temple mount. Daniel prophesied the prophetic timeline of the end times of 70 weeks (of years) including the crucifixion of the Messiah/Christ, and the worldly leader who will come to destroy (Dan. 9:20-27). During this time of the end, God will accomplish the following for Hois people and Jerusalem: "...to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." (Dan. 9:24). We can say that Daniel's prophecies will be coming soon to this earth as all signs indicate. 

     Even more interestingly, the LORD instructed Daniel to close up the words and seal up the book of these prophecies until the time of the end. Up until recently, the prophecies of Daniel have seemed to be a mystery, but now as they are read, we can understand exactly what Daniel was prophesying. The previously "sealed" book has been unsealed to our understanding because it is the time of the end.

     The prophet Isaiah also wrote: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Isa. 26:17-21, excerpt). As Daniel also wrote above, the dead shall be raised, and the judgment of the LORD will come to earth.

     The prophet Jeremiah wrote: "For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace...Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it...I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst his bonds...they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I shall raise up unto them." (Jer. 30:4-9). There are many enemies lining up to destroy Israel at this time. Here Jeremiah mentioned the raising up of the Messiah/Christ to be King as David, who at the time of this prophecy was dead and his grave remains in Jerusalem to this day, was over His people. However, the Messiah, Jesus, is a descendant of David and his royal line. Although dangers surround Israel, the LORD stated that He would fight for Israel.

     Jesus also told His disciples about this time of the end: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened...For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before." (Mt. 24:20-25). This is what Paul wrote to Timothy, and what the prophets said. We see all of these things lining up and coming soon to the earth.

     Jesus also warned of the armies that would surround Jerusalem, and of the desolation that Daniel wrote about (Lk. 21:20, see Dan. 9:27). "For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled...and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (v. 22-24). This is not about the Roman destruction in 70 AD. This is God's wrathful vengeance against those who have sought to destroy His people. Both Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are now once again in the hands of Israel rather than the Gentiles. The time of the Gentiles treading over the land of Israel is done. 

     The time frame of 3 1/2 years as mentioned in Daniel is also mentioned in Revelation 11. John the Revelator is given the instruction to "measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein." (Rev. 11:1). The Gentiles have trodden upon the holy city for 3 1/2 years (42 months). The temple is there, no longer destroyed as it was in 70 AD. Two witnesses have come to Jerusalem having been given power by the Lord to prophesy for 3 1/2 years (1260 days). They display much power. However, when the time period has come to an end, the beast that comes from the bottomless pit will kill them. There will be great celebrations over their deaths because the people did not want to hear their witness and were tormented by their witness from the Lord. Jerusalem at this time is compared to "Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." (v. 2-10). At the end of this 3 1/2 years and the deaths of the two witnesses: "And after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them." (11-12). The Lord is about to raise up anointed prophetic witnesses in Jerusalem.

     In these days of the end times, God turns back to restore Israel and the Jewish people, not only as a physical nation, but spiritually as well. Paul wrote: "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew." (Rom. 11:1-2). Even when the prophet Elijah believed that only he was left who worshipped the LORD, God assured him that He always had a remnant who serve Him. God answered Elijah: "I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Ba'al." (v. 2-4). Paul then continued: "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace...I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be riches to the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness.? (v. 5-12, excerpt). Paul said that the blindness had come to Israel in part, "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob...For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." (v. 25-31, excerpt).

     Do we have the mercy to pray that all of Israel shall be saved? Any so-called Christian organization who's beliefs include any expression of antisemitism is not standing for the Word of God. God has not cast away His people. Our foundational scripture is Rom. 1:16, which says that the Gospel is to the Jew first, and also the Greek (Gentile). Is the church praying according to the Word and will of God, or only praying for its own needs? Jesus is coming soon. If you don't know Jesus and the reality of the new birth, what is holding you back?

    *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 2/2/25 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at Kenneth Stevenson. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.