We are living in the times of the signs, yet most Christians are asleep. Of course, that’s another sign of the times. Instead of digging into Scripture and Biblical prophecy, many Christians just put in an hour sitting in a pew and think that’s good enough. That’s sad. That makes it easy for Satan to confuse and befuddle you. His tactics haven’t changed over the years; He still uses the same smooth talk with which he confused Eve. God was very clear when He told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

That seems clear to me. God didn’t “suggest” but “commanded the man.” The Hebrew word is “sava'” and means “to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.” After giving this command to Adam, God took part of Adam and made Eve. Adam knew God’s commands, but it seems he neglected to instill this command into Eve’s understanding. It wasn’t long until Satan attacked Eve’s mind. Satan can take many forms, and he chose to appear to her as a serpent. Right away, he twisted God’s words and put doubt into her mind.

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).

The truth is that God did say they could eat of every tree, except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve was easily out-foxed but tried to be very, very holy and added to God’s words.

“And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:2-3).

God didn’t say not to touch it. Touching wasn’t the problem, but eating it – taking it into their bodies – was what would cause them to die. Satan began planting doubt through lies.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

She believed Satan over God, ate the fruit, then gave it to Adam. Just like that, God’s truth was proved correct. Paradise was lost. Satan is patient, and he has been busy planting doubt in the minds of people who are easily manipulated. Over the ages, he has convinced people that the Creation account is a fairytale and that the fairytale of evolution is true. When God’s word is doubted, sin abounds.

Satan has been busy on many fronts planting doubt concerning what God clearly says. Like Eve, most people are easily befuddled. Why is that? Because they don’t study God’s truth.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:15-16).

There are many so-called teachers whose teachings are nothing more than profane babblings. The only way to spot erroneous teaching is to know the truth. It may be that the preacher at your place of worship doesn’t teach the pure word of God. As we draw closer to the end of time, this will become worse. It’s important for every Christian to study God’s word in order to discern God’s truth from twisted truth. God inspired the authors of the books of the Bible to write the words they wrote. Scripture is directly from God, and His truth never changes. The thing that can twist Scripture is interpretations. Most of us aren’t fluent in Ancient Hebrew and Greek, so we prefer translations in our own language. These translations are interpreted by humans, and that’s when things can get twisted.

When Jesus was asked by His disciples about the end of the age, He gave a discourse about signs we can watch for. There were many things He spoke about, beginning with deception.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4).

If you follow teachers who water down Scripture or twist the meaning of God’s word, then you’re being deceived. Satan does know Scripture. That’s rather surprising, but he proved that when he tried to trick Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days, and His human body was weakened. That’s when Satan approached Him with a way to get out of His troubles. All Jesus had to do was worship Satan, and He wouldn’t have to face persecution or mocking. Satan twisted Scripture to try to convince Jesus to worship the evil one. Jesus didn’t live in La-La land. He knew what He had to face. Old Testament prophecy talked about it, and He answered Satan’s twisted words with pure Scripture.

All teachings of men need to be filtered through the truth of Scripture. One false teaching is that Christians have replaced Israel. That teaching is heresy. That isn’t taught in God’s word at all.

As Jesus spoke further to His disciples about the end times, He mentioned wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. These things have always happened and will continue until Jesus returns and puts a stop to these events. Those are signs that time is marching forward, and these things will increase in frequency and intensity as we near the end. Jesus likened the time of the end to the days of Noah. This is another point that is misunderstood because God’s truth has been twisted. What were the days of Noah really like? For one thing, most people were living in La-La Land. There was wickedness everywhere, but they didn’t seem aware of it.

“For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:38-39).

People just went about living their lives as if nothing unusual was going on. They weren’t paying attention.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (Genesis 6:1-2).

What could this mean? Some have twisted the meaning to say that the “sons of God” were powerful kings. These kings went about marrying any fair young maiden they wanted. Because of that, God destroyed everything. Another twisted interpretation says that Adam and Eve’s son Seth was so good that his sons were the “sons of God,” while Cain was so bad that when Seth’s sons married Cain’s daughters, God had to judge the world and destroy everybody and everything.

Both of those twisted interpretations make God look bad. It’s better to believe what God says, even if we don’t fully understand the “how” of it. The phrase “sons of God” is “ben,” meaning “son,” and “elohim,” meaning “God.” If Scripture meant the sons of Seth, it would have said “ben set.” Whenever the phrase “sons of God” appears in the Old Testament, it describes angels (Job 1:6, Job 2:1and Job 38:7).

When we add New Testament Scripture, we understand that “sons of God” refers to a direct creation of God. Angels were directly created by God, as was Adam. After Adam, people are no longer direct creations of God but sons and daughters of our parents. The New Testament says that when we accept Christ, we become “sons of God.” We are a new creation (John 1:12, Romans 8:14, Philippians 2:14, among many others).

Now back to the days of Noah. Some of the angels had rebelled against God and decided to take human women for their pleasure. Angels are always described as males, so there was no marriage in Heaven. When the fallen angels saw human women, they took them for wives, and hybrids were created from these ungodly unions.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (Genesis 6:1-2).

It all becomes clear if you don’t twist God’s words. The children of this ungodly union weren’t human, nor were the angels. They were “Nephilim.” The human genome was corrupted. What happens when a human spirit combines with a non-human spirit? Evil. That evil grows and permeates everything.

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

All the while these ungodly unions were happening, people just went about their daily lives “… eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:38b-39).

They were living in La-La Land and unaware… probably very “tolerant” of this evil, just like today. Not only was mankind corrupted, but it seems the animals, birds, and all of creation were affected by these fallen angels, because God had to destroy everything.

“And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them” (Genesis 6:7).

We also know that there was one family, led by Noah, who had remained pure without allowing the corruption of his human genome.

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:8-9).

This doesn’t mean Noah was without sin but means his genome… his human genes… weren’t corrupted. God would send His judgment, but He would save Noah and his family, as well as some animals. Noah wasn’t living in La-La Land but sought to live his life pure unto God. God honored Noah’s diligence and had him build an Ark. God’s judgment is coming again, and we have God’s word to guide us and make us aware of what to look for.

Jesus said it would be like the days of Noah. Is that corruption happening today? Yes, it is, but most people are living in La-La Land, going about their lives and not paying attention. I first became aware that things were getting strange when I read about genes being patented. That told me that the basic genome of God’s creation was being changed. Today, gene editing is being promoted as a way to correct genetic material in order to treat a disease. If you allow your genes to be edited, you may not be prone to cancer, but your genome is no longer pure. When my granddaughter became very ill after getting a “regular” vaccination, I began looking into all vaccines and was shocked to see what is in them. It’s no wonder so many children have Autism, ADHD, gender confusion, and more.

If you’re interested, here’s a link to the CDC’s list of ingredients: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf.

Our food is also being genetically modified. Oh, it’s all done to make crops resistant to pests and chickens to grow bigger, but it changes the way God created food to be used by our bodies. You might check this link about modified food: https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond.

Now, do you think we just might be living in the days of Noah? If so, do you understand that God’s judgment is coming? This time it will not be by a worldwide flood. As we see wars, pestilence, and famine growing in strength and frequency, we know we are nearing the end of time. There will be a one-world monetary system (look into what the World Economic Forum wants to do), a one-world religion (that can’t happen unless Christians allow it), and a one-world government (the Beast of Revelation is growing, and his mark will soon be in place). A promise to Christians is that we won’t be on Earth when God’s final judgment begins. The first “picture” of this was prior to the Flood. Noah’s family was genetically pure, and his great-grandfather was Enoch.

“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).

Enoch was Raptured prior to God’s judgment. Notice that Enoch “walked with God.” Today, we have the promise of eternal life through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you’ve placed your faith in Him, then your life should reflect Christ. Sin should no longer rule your life. We still live in this world with its sin and temptations, but we shouldn’t allow sin and temptation to rule our choices.

If you’re living in La-La Land and think that everything is just like it always was, then you need to wake up. Prophecy is being fulfilled.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Christ will call His Bride Home soon, and if you haven’t given your life to Him, you’ll be left on earth to face horrendous judgment. Stop living in La-La Land; move into a new life in Christ.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

 

Are you afraid? Do you listen to the network news and find many reasons to stay in your home and bury your head in useless pursuits? Many people are addicted to watching the news and are very scared because of what they hear. Instead of reporting news, it seems reporters are geared to instill fear. People deal with fear in various ways, such as playing video games, partying, YouTube videos with low moral value, and much more. By throwing themselves into such activities, they hope to drive the trouble out of their minds. Instead of turning to God for answers, people turn to the world. The world has no answers, but God does.

God has given Biblical prophecy, but the mindset of most Christians is that it’s too confusing. I agree that you can’t understand it unless you study. When you study, it’s important to let go of ancient interpretations and study it with knowledge of today. Daniel was given an amazing prophecy of the end times but was told,

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:3).

The word “knowledge” is “da’at” in Hebrew and means “knowledge, perception, skill and discernment, understanding, wisdom.” In other words, what Daniel was shown would make no sense to him, but as time went on, this prophecy (and indeed, all prophecy) would make more sense. Daniel wanted to know more.

“And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” (Daniel 12:8).

He was very concerned about what he had been shown. Remember, Daniel was Jewish and had heard some disturbing things concerning the entire world, but mostly about Israel. We all need to be concerned about Israel. The answer that was given to Daniel wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:9-10).

Brothers and sisters, we are nearing “the time of the end,” but too many Christians don’t even try to understand prophecy. Have you studied the book of Daniel? Have you studied Revelation? Have you studied any Biblical prophecy? If not, you should, and if you do, then use increased knowledge to gain understanding.

Until a few years ago, things that happened miles away could only be known after time had passed. If a large earthquake happened in Japan, it would take time for the news to reach people in distant lands. But now, we can watch on-the-spot live news coverage. As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, there’s live coverage of it all. I have an App on my cellphone that sends an alert every time rockets are shot at Israel. Sadly, it goes off way too often.

When Scripture tells us that there will be two witnesses in the streets of Jerusalem during the final week of History, and that the whole world will see them lying dead in the street, people of yesterday just didn’t understand how. Truly, knowledge is increasing, and we need to apply it to our understanding of prophecy. It seems that knowledge of Biblical prophecy is stuck in the Dark Ages. Praise God, there are a few knowledgeable men who share their insights.

When Scripture was first written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, the weapons of war included horses, spears, and swords. When Isaiah penned the prophecy in Isaiah 17 regarding the destruction of Damascus, the weapons of war were very primitive.

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid” (Isaiah 17:1-2).

I can understand why those who have read it through the years were confused. Damascus, Syria, is an ancient city, and there have been many wars fought there, but none have left it a ruinous heap. How could soldiers on horseback with swords and arrows totally destroy this large city? Maybe they could have set fire to it? The ancient people wouldn’t have known about airplanes flying over with bombs. You see, updating the understanding of prophecy based on modern knowledge can make it more understandable.

The news media is a good thing but also a bad thing. Instead of simply reporting news, they choose a side and give a biased report slanted to make their chosen “hero” look good. Today, Russia is the bad guy, and Ukraine is the good guy. The truth is that both are led by humans who fail. The images of the destruction that Russia is causing in Ukraine are truly sickening. On the other hand, do you remember a few years back, when Hunter Biden was paid millions of dollars by the Ukrainian government to basically do nothing?

Friends, use discernment when placing your loyalties. The tragedy in Ukraine can also be the catalyst for evangelism. Does that make headlines on the nightly news? There are many Christians who are working hard to provide food and shelter to those who have lost their homes in this war. Another overlooked aspect of the war is that Israel has rescued hundreds of orphans and displaced people. I’m certain that when the fighting ends, there will be many stories of God’s mighty hand at work. Never lose sight of the fact that God is eternal, and nothing that happens surprises Him. His desire is that everyone looks to Him for salvation.

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22).

The greatest tragedy is when a person dies without asking for salvation through Jesus Christ. Use knowledge of prophecy to witness to the lost.

Don’t be afraid to study prophecy. The Apostle Peter tells us just how important it is. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Peter had been speaking about his experiences with Jesus whose birth, life, and death were the subject of many prophecies. Had the religious leaders understood those prophecies, they would have recognized Jesus as their Messiah. They chose blindness and ignorance. The miraculous things Jesus did should have been evidence that He was the Messiah, but understanding prophecy should have clinched it. Today the world is getting darker, but God’s light outshines the darkness.

Peter said that Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Jeremiah, and all of the other prophets of God didn’t make up the prophecies but were inspired by the Holy Spirit. They were given a look into the future and described it as best they could with their knowledge of the time. Today, we’ve gained knowledge, and that should make the study of prophecy come into focus.

We are nearing the time of Jacob’s Trouble. That’s what Jeremiah called Daniel’s 70th week. “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” (Jeremiah 30:7).

Why is it called the time of Jacob’s Trouble? Jacob was the father of 12 sons; each was the head of one of the tribes of Israel. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Those final seven years (Daniel’s 70th week) are about the nation of Israel. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s chosen people are referred to as “Jacob” or “Israel.” Usually, when the nation is rebelling against their God, they are called Jacob. When the nation is in fellowship with God, they’re referred to as Israel. So, by calling that time “Jacob’s trouble,” we know two things. First, the nation is in rebellion, and also those seven years are about Israel.

Today, many Jewish people from all nations are returning to Israel, but most of them don’t believe in God; they aren’t in fellowship with Him. Even though the entire world is judged by the wrath of God, the main focus is Israel and bringing them to a covenant relationship with God. One false belief held by some Christians is that Christians have replaced Israel in God’s heart. That is absolutely ridiculous. We have our place, and Israel has their place. Not only have we not replaced Israel, but we will be Raptured prior to the start of Daniel’s 70th week.

As secular knowledge increases, Biblical knowledge should also increase. We are drawing very close to Daniel’s 70th week. Study Revelation and understand what a horrific time those seven years will be. When the Lamb opens the first seal, the end begins. Read Revelation with discernment. Christians have nothing to fear from the horrors of that week. The reason we have nothing to fear is that we will be safely at Home with our Lord. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 contain seven letters which Jesus dictated to the Apostle John. These letters describe the history of Christianity. The first letter, addressed to Ephesus, describes those Christians in the first century who faced much persecution. Unfortunately, they had begun to change their focus from a relationship with Christ to religion.

“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and has borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted” (Revelation 2:2-3). That sounds good, but Jesus sees everything, and has a criticism. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left they first love” (Revelation 2:4). They were turning the joy of salvation into works and religion.

Today we live in the time of the final letter written to Laodicea… the apostate church. What a sad letter it is. Christ is no longer the focus, but many false teachings have entered. The congregation is lukewarm… neither hot nor cold. Jesus says He will spue them out of His mouth. Apparently, the leadership of the congregation has failed. Instead of preaching the pure Gospel, it’s watered-down God’s truth in order to make it easy for the pew-warmers to hear. We should learn from this, but instead of reading Jesus’ prophetic words, we are shutting Him out of our worship and our lives. When was the last time the Gospel was preached from the pulpit in your place of worship? It does make people uncomfortable to think they sin and need to be forgiven.

Jesus isn’t wanted inside the Laodicean congregation, but He hasn’t given up. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

Don’t wait for the pastor to preach the Gospel. You have a Bible, so study and allow the Holy Spirit and increased knowledge of God’s truth to guide you. Answer the knock… Jesus wants to come in to your heart.

The first verse of Chapter 4 reads, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Revelation 4:1).

Remember, the history of the church ended in chapter 3. The first words in chapter 4 are, in Greek, “meta tauta,” which indicate a sequence of events. First, the Church Age runs its course, then a door is open in Heaven, and the Apostle John (representing Christians) was told to “Come up hither.” John is a picture of the Rapture.

Knowledge is so important to understanding all Scripture, but when studying prophecy, knowledge is very important. Use it wisely.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.