Shine Bright Church PROPHECY UPDATE - PT 1 & 2

Shine Bright Church PROPHECY UPDATE – 10/29/23
See the video here! recorded on 10/29/23

15 SUBJECTS of Last Days Prophecy (Eschatology):

1) Israel, Jerusalem, Temple
2) Gog, Magog, Invasion into the Middle East (Russia, Iran & Allies)
3) ‘Revived’ Roman Empire – EU, USE, MU (note Israel's interest and cooperation!)
4) One World Govt – Mark of the Beast
5) One World Religion – “”
6) One World Economy – ““
7) One World Leader – the Beast of Revelation
8) The Kings of the East
9) Signs of the Times: “Birth Pangs”

a) Wars & Rumors of wars
b) Pestilences (diseases, infestations)
c) Earthquakes and other forms of nature’s violence
d) Famines – All of these will increase in frequency and intensity

10) false Christs, false prophets, false teachers
11) False church – Mystery Babylon, apostasy: falling away from “The faith”
12) Increasing knowledge, science, technology as well as mysticism and the occult
13) Spirit of deception – both in the world, and the church.
14) The Rapture of the Church - Bema Seat Judgment, Lamb’s Wedding Feast
15) The Day of the LORD: Great Tribulation, The Second Coming/Return of the King, and Millennial Kingdom and Judgment Day.

This TTUF article will get into some in-depth information about only some of the above 15 Subjects, and as you can see, the words in each category are hyper-linked to more info.

What we have following are subjects that I and pastor Albert Lopez addressed on Sunday, OCT 29th of 2023 at SHINE BRIGHT Church, Tucson, AZ.
I will provide further commentary after the words “Supplemental Information”.

PART One ~ by James Fire

1) SET UP FOR MAGOG INVASION –

EZEKIEL 38:2,5-6,8,12
2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
5 "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 "Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops-many people are with you.
8 "After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.
12 "to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.

Gog is the leader, and Magog is his nation. 300 documented references, including Josephus in his historical account “Antiquities of the Jews” and more recent scholarship from Dr. Pentecost and Dr. Young, connect Magog with the ancient tribe of the Scythians. They started out in Eastern Turkey, migrated across the length of Russia, including Ukraine, to Manchuria in China. In fact, “the Great Wall of China” could be interpreted from Chinese as “the ramparts (defensive walls) of Magog”.

Meschech, Tubal, and Gomer are identified with Turkey and Armenia; descendants of Gomer also migrated to Ukraine. Prophetically speaking then, we see why Russia needs control of Ukraine! Persia is Iran, Ethiopia and Libya have the same names today.

If Russia continues as they are, they will soon possess all the land that the Nomadic Scythians possessed (Including Ukraine). We already see Russian dominance in Turkey (where Magog/the Scythians began) that has a treaty agreement with Moscow. Likewise Iran and Syria have treaties with Moscow.

Iran uses Syria as their puppet, shipping them all kinds of weapons; from there delivered to Gaza from the city of Damascus in Syria. Damascus is 4,000 years old; oldest city to exist today. According to ISAIAH 17:1
“…Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.”

Damascus has never once ceased to be a city; they have never been a ruinous heap, literally “a pile of rubbish”. Not yet at least. Could Israel finally decide to cut off Gaza’s supply line of missiles and weapons by nuking Damascus? Could that prompt Russia to take direct action in the Middle East? That could be a motive; what’s another definite motive?

EZEKIEL 38:12
“to take plunder and to take booty” That is Gog’s main goal…

Israel has $90 billion dollars’ worth of natural gas, about $348 billion of crude oil, discovered less than 10 years ago. The mineral wealth being excavated from the Dead Sea is worth over $4 billion. This doesn’t include their agriculture, diamond industry, and technology industries. Just these three alone makes Israel worth more than $442 billion dollars! Not bad for a country the size of New Jersey!

Russia, the primary supplier of refined oil for Europe is starting to run dry. If they want to stay in business, they need to find oil, fast! This could be “the hooks in the jaws” (EZEK 38:4) that drives Russia to such an invasion! Could what’s happening in Gaza be a strategic distraction to occupy Israel while Magog makes preparations to go on the move to the Middle East? We have to wait, watch and pray.

When will Magog attack – before or after the seven year period of Tribulation?

Many reputable Bible Scholars believe the Magog attack will happen at (or near) the end of the Great Tribulation; some equate this invasion as part of the battle of Armageddon.

I’m of the persuasion that this so-called war – a massacre really – happens either just prior to, or maybe at some point at the beginning of the Tribulation, and reason being, there are some stark differences between this scenario and the other:

In the Gog-Magog Invasion, GOD is the One who drives these nations against Israel using Gog as His tool.

In the Battle of Armageddon, the nations are led by the Beast of Revelation, being driven by Satan.

In the Gog-Magog Invasion, its only several countries in coalition against Israel.

In the Battle of Armageddon its virtually the whole world represented in its opposition against Israel.

In the Gog-Magog Invasion, the intent is to take a spoil; at Armageddon the purpose is to destroy the nation.

What will be the after effect of the Magog Attack?

In the Gog-Magog Invasion, the enemies of Israel are destroyed in the mountains, but at Armageddon, they are wiped out between the valley of Megiddo and Bozrah (Petra).

The conclusion of the Gog-Magog Invasion has Israel burning the enemy’s weapons for seven years and the casualties for seven months. The conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon is the visible return of Jesus Christ and the judgment of the nations.

The Gog-Magog Invasion force experiences an earthquake centered around Israel whereas at the Battle of Armageddon there is an earthquake that spans the globe (all the cities of the nation’s fall).

There is no mention of the fate of Gog when he is defeated; but at the Battle of Armageddon the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire.

At the Gog-Magog Invasion the people of the world know that there is a GOD in heaven, but in the Battle of Armageddon, GOD (the Son) is manifest and establishes His kingdom.

For these and many other compelling reasons TTUF believes that this war between Magog and Israel will probably occur before the seven year period colloquially known as “the Tribulation”.

The TIMING of the MAGOG INVASION

2) AI and TECHNOCRACY –

DANIEL 12:4
But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.

“knowledge shall increase” – The word “science” actually means “knowledge” so we’re looking at the sciences exploding with breathtaking advancements. That’s what we are seeing today!

Technocracy is the belief that this world would be run with the greatest efficiency if scientists were in charge. They claim that AI will make life on Earth far better, more efficient, and less prone to ‘human error’. This is paradise by way of programming.

Carl Teichrib and Technocracy

Elon Musk had a sit-down with Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu about AI, and they agree “AI” or Artificial Intelligence, once implemented on a global basis would be our savior, performing virtual miracles in medicine, economics, solving political dilemmas and wars, etc.

Implementation of AI is already seen in social media; everything from generating artwork, to music, lyrics, speeches – even sermons! AI has provided animated imagery where famous people like George Washington or Jesus can speak to you – or where it hits closer to home more: a beloved, but dearly departed loved one – and where does it cross the line between this, and some demonic spirit affecting such AI programming? Does to the ‘speaking to the dead’ then become a sort of high tech necromancy?

AI could be used to diagnose and treat diseases, detecting them on a genetic level even before symptoms show! It could be used for planned communities, where everything from road traffick, to predicting patterns of criminal activity, to food production and distribution, self-schooled education could all be tracked or orchestrated and monitored for the most efficient society that we'll (never) see!

Interfacing a computer chip in the human brain and connecting us to AI (and to each other) could increase our mental powers to perhaps superhuman levels! This leads into the philosophy and movement of transhumanism.

Transhumanism is remaking man to be ‘higher’ than the image in which we were created (in the image of GOD), by implementing into humans aspects of animal DNA that have superior advantage over the senses we humans have. For example, the eyesight of eagles, the reflexes of cobras, the speed of cheetahs, the endurance and stamina of dolphins, the strength of mountain gorillas, etc.

Transhumanism would tweak normal human DNA and ‘dialing it up’ to the max. It would also utilize micro-technology combined with AI to create a ‘hive mind’ collective society of Cyborgs where we would learn directly from each other without any actual physical contact – very much like the Borg of Star Trek.

AI has become so sophisticated, that it can accurately predict what you will do or how you will act in any situation and provide options for you before you’re even aware of any choices to be made! How wonderful, right?

Tech is a two-edged sword however – it can be used for good, or for evil… Satan always lures with enticement but they always lead to a trap! What’s the down side of all of this?

Imagine if you will, some powerful demonic spirits covertly manipulating and guiding such AI programming that achieves awareness so unsuspecting humanity would be led by this satanic agenda. Imagine living in such a society where individuals want to “opt out” of such a life, and are cut off from essentials necessary to live?

MATTHEW 24:22
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

The idea that “NO flesh” would survive is something inconceivable until the Dawn of the Nuclear Age. Weapons of Mass Destruction using NBC warfare (Nuclear/ Biologic/ Chemical). Adding AI to the mix would give us “thinking robots” like Terminator-style warriors. AI in programming missiles would turn them into snoop dogs of destruction, targeting with deadly accuracy.
AI-inspired Biological weapons could fine-tune a fatal virus so that once let loose it could track down one person out of thousands, infect them alone and terminate them. Anyone who saw the James Bond Film, No Time To Die saw this sort of tech that isn’t make-believe. All of this is the sort of technological power that the antichrist will have at his fingertips!

Blofeld, the chief adversary of James Bond had stolen a bio-tech weapon created by the British government named Heracles. Blofeld then ordered it be used to create a fatal virus tuned to 007’s genetic code, but a third party switched the vial with another that would not target the British agent, but the dozens of SPECTRE members that surrounded him. They were all eliminated while Mr. Bond watched them collapse and die while he himself was perfectly safe!

3) DECEPTION INFILTRATING The CHURCH –

The LORD Jesus warned us no less than FOUR TIMES in MATTHEW 24 to beware of deception in the last days!

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5, 7-8b
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8b these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;

The POWER of the SPIRIT:
By what power are you enabled to live godly? The indwelling Spirit of Christ. The sort spoken of here doesn’t merely lack the Spirit of Christ, they deny Him! This is the spirit of antichrist that looks religious, and they are ever learning, but don’t arrive at the objective, inspired truth of GOD’s Word!
Instead, this sort “resist the truth” because of their corrupt minds that are more about the subtle, subjective, seductive, emotional, ‘touchy-feely’ and experiential rather than the unchanging, objective, and eternal truth of GOD’s Word.

We see this in the church today: some generations ago, the world decided that “there is no truth” or at least “no absolute truth”. In exchange of GOD’s Word, and the church is falling for this nonsense.
Instead, they’re going after doctrines of demons and seducing spirits (1 TIM 4:1) with mystical meditative practices leading them to seeing visions, becoming aware of “higher levels of being”, and recognizing that “GOD is all, and All is GOD” – including themselves! (pantheism).

Contemplative Prayer is a meditation practice that’s heavily borrowed from Hinduism and Buddhism; it produces an altered state of consciousness, leaving a person vulnerable to outside influences – read that, demonic spirits. Agencies that authorize Christian university curriculum and accreditation are pushing books about contemplative prayer (spiritual formation) on to Christian students. It’s invaded the Evangelical church through Richard Foster, and the same invasion is taking place among some reformed churches through Dallas Willard.

This will lead people to believe in the Beast who himself will claim to be ‘God’ (2 THESS 2:4).

The apostate church, separated from the biblical church founded upon JESUS CHRIST and the BIBLE, will continueto fall from “the faith” (1 TIM 4:1), that is, depart from and reject the doctrine of GOD’s Word. New Age leaders (such as Matthew Fox) state that mystical meditation is required if this world ever hopes to establish a one world religion that will unite in their declaration that “we are all one with GOD”, even “we are ‘God’!”.

See the TTUF article: False Teachings, False Peace, and False Christs – Part One (links to Parts Two and Three contained in Part One)

REVELATION 2:14
"But I have a few things against you [Pergamos], because you have those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Deception by way of perversion in the church has gone so far, that entire denominations refer to abortion as a “godly sacrament”; they fully endorse the LGBTQ community, welcoming pastors and ministers who agree that these are legitimate, God-given lifestyles (“love is love”). Like Pergamos, the apostate church is “perverted” with “leaven” (false doctrine, sin, and pride; MATT 13:33), as they kneel at the same altar as the world, worshiping immorality.

These apostate churches no longer believe Jesus is GOD, that He is the only Way to heaven, that He was born of a virgin. They have a very low view of the Bible, denying it as the absolute, exclusive authority for the church. We have gone so far, that today, there are those who profess to be “Christian witches”!!?? (Google that some time!)

The final objective of Satan is the reintroduction of “The Whore of Babylon, the Mother of Harlots”. This “mother” has given birth to all false religions – (REV 17 & 18) – her resemblance to the church is only skin deep, but she’s the vehicle of the vile, the device of deception, the Mother Prostitute of Perversion that will dominate the world government for a time and lead the world in worship of the Beast.

A couple decades ago, our youth were captured by the allurements and promises made by the Emergent Church movement for a ‘new kind of Christian’ and a ‘new spirituality’, and while most of the proponents and teachers of this aberration of biblical truth have faded into the proverbial wood work, the aftermath has left a generation even more disillusioned at best, deluded at worst and even further from the truth of GOD’s revealed Word.

But the Progressive Church movement has picked up where the Emergent Church left off – and with some of the same players. The one at the forefront of this ‘newer’ lie is Richard Rohr, who promotes contemplative prayer, panentheism (GOD is in all things, including the worst of ‘sinners’), and like his predecessors, disparages the Holy Scriptures, denies the Deity of Jesus, and is a huge fan of the Enneagram.

The Enneagram is something taking the church by storm for the last decade or so; it purports to be a personality test, when in fact, its function makes the false claim of identifying a personality, a person’s strengths, weaknesses, abilities and where such a person would be best suited in life: something that Christians for thousands of years have turned to the Word of GOD for such answers!

Check out DECEPTION In The CHURCH website!

4) The BEAST and HIS MARK

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is six hundred and sixty-six.

We already see global commerce happening in a way like never before: can someone say, Amazon? What sort of AI do you think it would require to have every single living, breathing person on the planet to have an assigned number, all of their financial and medical records and social interactions monitored, tracked and controlled – as well as their whereabouts at any given moment?

With a biochip implant only 1 millimeter long and as wide a human hair inserted into your body, you could be secretly dropped off anywhere on planet Earth and it would take orbital satellites less than 10 minutes to find and identify you by your DNA code!

The Beast represents two things: He is a man (and maybe something more than that). It also is a kingdom, or a multi-government entity. We see both man and kingdom in view in DANIEL 7.

The four beasts here are four kings (DAN 7:17), but these are also four kingdoms (DAN 7:23 states this, showing the fourth kingdom in contrast to the previous three).

Yet on the fourth kingdom (beast) we see ten horns, which are ten kings (DAN 7:24), which would mean that the fourth kingdom is more like an empire, with individual kings reigning over their own specific jurisdiction.

Daniel then perceives another “little horn” rising up in the midst of the ten, which indicates that these ten kings will be in place and ruling before the Beast is raised up to power (at least in any visible manifestation).

This is the one “whose coming isafter the working of Satan” (2 THESS 2:9).

This man will be granted all power and authority in Satan’s global kingdom, has 33 different titles in the Old Testament, 13 titles in the New Testament. He is a very prominent figure in Scripture, who will be an almost flawless replica of Jesus Christ that will supremely seduce and dramatically deceive the world by the willing hand of the GOD of Truth that they have intentionally rejected (2 THESS 2:9-11)!

All of the nations of the world will be under his domination except for one: Jordan (formerly the ancient kingdoms of Edom, Moab, Ammon), because it’s there in Bozrah, Jordan (today known as Petra), where the Jews that will come to believe in their Messiah during the tribulation will find refuge, protected from the Beast that wants to destroy GOD’s people (DAN 11:36-39, 41).

His number is 666. Why? Six is the number of man; Adam was created on the 6th day. 6 being one less than 7, and 7 means complete or perfect, man by himself is not complete, and imperfect. We need the Spirit of GOD to bring us eternal life! The Spirit of GOD is Himself described as “the seven fold Spirit” (REV 4:5; 5:6).

Satan’s deception is that man is NOT imperfect, he is NOT incomplete, but that he is evolving to “godhood” and will be glorified during the days of the Beast, with himself being glorified as the supreme god above all, especially above YHWH: this man indwelt by the very spirit of Satan. It’s been suggested that each of these three 6’s represents the Satanic trinity of the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet.

2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4,7-12
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

PART TWO ~ by Albert Lopez

5) RAPTURE, BEMA SEAT, WHITE THROWN

According to Britannica.com

Religious leaders, scientists, and even a hen... aka Chicken Little (or so it seemed) have been making predictions for the end of the world for almost as long as the world has been around. They have predicted the destruction of the world through floods, fires, and comets—luckily, for us, none of it has come to pass.

Among 10 failed doomsday predictions:

In 1806, a domesticated hen in Leeds, England, appeared to lay eggs inscribed with the message “Christ is coming.” Great numbers of people reportedly visited the hen and began to despair of the coming Judgment Day. It was soon discovered, however, that the eggs were not in fact prophetic messages but the work of their owner, who had been writing on the eggs in corrosive ink and reinserting them into the poor hen’s body.

Taiwanese religious leader Hon-Ming Chen established Chen Tao, or True Way, a religious movement that blended elements of Christianity, Buddhism, UFO conspiracy theories, and Taiwanese folk religion. Chen preached that God would appear on U.S. television channel 18 on March 25, 1998, to announce that he would descend to Earth the following week in a physical form. The following year, he prophesized, millions of devil spirits, together with massive flooding, would result in a mass extinction of the human population. Followers could be spared by buying their way aboard spaceships, disguised as clouds, sent to rescue them. He had followers move to Garland TX, only because that sounds like “God-Land”.

Then in 1988 Harold Camping declared that this would be the time of the rapture in his book 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Happen in ‘88; That year came and went as a non-event for the church’s departure. He then admitted to some miscalculations and wrote a sequel that detailed reasons why the rapture would occur in 1994. Evidence for such a rapture event is conspicuous in its absence! He then stated the rapture would happen in 2002, then in 2011. Today, the only one who believes him is his wife; everyone else including his children, and grandchildren dismiss his theories.

According to pewresearch.org survey conducted on 11-17-22. 40% of American adults believe humanity is living in the end times. 10% of U.S. adults believe that Jesus will return in their lifetime. 27% are not sure and 19% say this won’t happen in their lifetime. However 41% do not believe Jesus will return to Earth nor do they believe in Jesus. Among Christians 22% do not believe Jesus will return to earth.

The rapture of the church or the taking away of the Church. The rapture is going to happen whether we believe in it or we don’t. ‘Rapture’ is not a word that is found in Scripture. But neither is Trinity; yet we serve a Triune God. The term is taken from rapiemur or rapturo or rapio (depending on how the word is used) in the Latin translation of the Greek word harpazo. It’s used to describe the very biblical doctrine; of the gathering up of GOD’s elect. This doctrine is central to the hope that we have as believers.

JOHN 14:1-3
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Superman is a famous super-hero and seems to always save the day. Jesus is not only a Hero but also a Savior and is beyond Super. The Lord will come to rescue His bride.

In Hebrew: nissuin (to take), a word that comes from naso, which means “to lift up”. This is the final step in the Jewish wedding tradition. Christ will come and lift His bride the church. The rapture is a picture of Christ the bridegroom coming to take His bride (the church) to a place He has prepared. At this time, the groom, with much noise, fanfare and romance, carried the bride home.

The Old Testament is not silent about the idea of the taking away or seizing of an individual. There were two examples of godly men whom this happened to:

Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (GEN 5:24). The word for “took” is Laqach - bring, brought, seize, receive, took away.

2 KINGS 2:11-12
As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more.

Alah - to go up, ascend

Fifty men searched for Elijah for three days and could not find him.

At The Time Of The Rapture

Just imagine all of the Tik-Tok, Instagram and other social media videos and closed circuit camera recordings that will flood the Net showing people disappearing off of escalators and elevators, from dentist chairs and operating tables. From cars stuck in traffic, airplanes 30,000 feet up in the skies, “raptured” from this world along with countless others that leave their graves empty!

For the church, this should be an exciting time and a time of planting, watering, and expectancy that the Lord will give the increase and there will be one more great harvest of souls of men (MATT 24:42-47)!

What are we doing as believing Christians? Are we showing the lost the fiery pit? Or are we pointing them to the glorious cross? As the song we sing says,

Soon and very Soon we are going to see the King.

This is reality, believe it or not! And if you don’t, you really need to believe the gospel, be saved and make this your own personal reality that’s in accordance with truth.
Now is the time to reach out to them (the lost), while we are still in the erusin (engagement) period before the Bridegroom comes.

We will be going over important questions that I pray will get us to think about this great event on God’s calendar. I say “God’s calendar” because for some, even church goers in the church; it may be second to something else. But I pray it is not so for any of us.

I like this quote I heard on the radio regarding the rapture:

I live for this day and for that day!

I say this because people always have a 5 or 10 year plan; nowadays it’s harder to do so but notice, people never have a plan for eternity. What’s your eternity plan? Where will you spend the rest of eternity? Be confident if you are trusting Jesus alone for your salvation! In all He has revealed, we can be sure we will spend eternity with Him in His Kingdom!

When will this happen?

This is a good question and probably a popular one. The short answer is no one knows the exact time and day. The biblical answer we find in scripture:

MARK 13:32-33
But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

However we should be able to recognize “the times and the seasons”:

1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-9
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

“Take heed” expresses the idea of staying awake and watchful. “Watch and pray” we read elsewhere in the Word (MK 13:33; LK 21:36). Even though Jesus’s disciples don’t know when the precise time is coming, they are to be ready and faithful, watching for the signs that indicate His return to catch away His bride and for those facing the tribulation, who are admonished to watch for Christ’s Return.

This mean Day, afternoon, evening, midnight, at any time; We must be ready. Expectancy should characterize every believer’s life. God wants us to know many things! But even the apostles wouldn’t know some things: like the timing of Israel’s restored kingdom:

ACTS 1:7
“It is not for you to know times (or “seasons” from the Greek chronos) which the Father has fixed by His own authority” i.e., “the time when the kingdom of Israel” (ACTS 1:6) aka the Millennial Reign of Christ happens upon the Second Coming. We the church won’t know the timing of His Coming, because it happens seven years after the rising up of the Beast to rule the world. Only those present on the Earth at that time will understand when Christ’s Second Coming will be – not the church, as we will have been raptured previously according to the “pre-trib” rapture which we at TTUF subscribe to.

[It should be noted that pastor Albert Lopez (whose notes are used in the second half of this article) of SHINE BRIGHT Church has reservations about the timing of the rapture and tends towards the “mid-trib” view.]

Take note that Paul is addressing two types of people: “sons of light” and those “in darkness”. We who are of the light are watchful and sober; those in darkness sleep and are drunk. We are expectant with certain hope in the LORD’s return; those in darkness are always saying “the LORD delays His coming” (MATT 24:48).

How will this happen?

We have established that we don’t know [exactly] when*, but the Bible does tell us how it will happen:

*~ We may certainly deduce that we are in the last days, as Israel is the cornerstone of eschatology, and it was predicted that the nation would be regathered “the second time” (May 14th, 1948) and that events transpiring today fit easily into the eschatological scenario depicted and soon to occur in the book of REVELATION.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

First, the Lord Himself descends from heaven but does not touch down. Although the nature of these sounds we read about are not clear (are they actual trumpets sounding or some method of angelic device approximated by what we would recognize as a trumpet blast? We’ll find out!); the purpose is to summon believers and signal the blessed hope is about to be realized.

Also, 1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-53 details how this great event will come to pass. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on [the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

At the rapture, believers will be fully and perfectly sanctified. Completely free from the sin nature and the sinful deeds that flow from it. We’ll pass from sanctification to glorification!

In a moment - Atomos means the smallest possible division of something. In this case time (a nano-second, a zeptosecond?). This won’t be like when you are going to a place you never been to and you say, “Are we there yet?”

No. This will be in a twinkling of an eye; like in a moment, it means rapidly. This will be the speed of the transformation of the living and the dead who are in Christ. When the trumpet sounds at Christ’s return.

Who will be involved in this event?

In 1 THESS 4:16 we get the answer: The dead in Christ and the believers who are still alive at the time of His coming; so, no matter if you and I are alive or dead in Christ. The key words are “in Christ”; we will be meeting each other along with our Lord. As the word says, …We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is (1 JOHN 3:2b).

Rescued from what?

The coming judgment upon this world! But before this judgment (before the 70th week of Daniel) we the church will be taken away! It says that we are going to meet the Lord Jesus “in the air…the clouds”:. Not only are we meeting him but unlike an appointment that you go to and then return home to your normal life you won’t be returning until the LORD Jesus Christ does! This is your one-way ticket to heaven. We read in the Bible, “so we shall always be with the Lord”! This echoes his promise in Jesu’s words “where I am, there you may be also”.

If being with our Lord wasn’t enough, the Bible also says that we will be rewarded.

6) The BEMA SEAT JUDGMENT

As we said earlier, the destination is heaven! The place of rewards is the bema seat of Christ.

The bema is a tribunal for rewards. In the large Olympic arenas, there was an elevated seat on which the judge of the event sat. After the contests were over, the successful competitors would assemble before the bema to receive their rewards or crowns. The bema was not a judicial bench where someone was condemned; it was a reward seat.

Likewise, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judicial bench. The Christian life is a race, and the divine judge is Jesus Christ. After the race is over for each believer, He will gather every member before the bema for the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to each.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Now in case you’re thinking, “But I thought I was saved by faith not by works?” you are right; this is not a judgment that determines your eternal destination. Therefore, the judgment seat of Christ is not designed to punish believers, but rather to reward them for their faithful service. All of us will give an account of what we have done after trusting Christ as Savior. Therefore, the judgment seat of Christ is a judgment of a believer’s works after salvation.

You made it! At this point, it’s a judgment (or more precisely, an evaluation) to determine rewards based on the good or bad deeds, and the motives by which we did them. We will either receive praise and reward or lack of praise and reward. We read about this in detail in:

1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

We are told in verse 11 that the only foundation that brings reward is Jesus Christ. Did we do the things we did out of love for Him and for His glory, thinking of His name?
Let this question motivate us to advance His Kingdom and His purpose and not our own. With that in mind, Not everyone will receive the same reward. At the judgment seat of Christ, there will be those who suffer loss.

In vs. 15 we read, “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire”. Be careful not to lose your reward!
In REVELATION 3:11 Jesus says:
“I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown”. This is loss of reward, not of salvation. We can picture the loss of reward like this:

Let us say you have recently built a new two-story house. While on the second floor, you smell smoke. Looking downstairs, you see that the first floor is on fire. You jump out the second story window to save your life. You then watch your new house burn to the ground. You are going have mixed emotions. You're thankful that you were able to jump and save your life, but you’re sad because your new house is destroyed.

This is similar to those believers who are saved but have nothing to show for it. They squandered or wasted their opportunities to live for Christ yet they are enjoying the benefits of heaven with Jesus.

So, we can see that there will be rewards and among them crowns. Church, if we work hard here on Earth for temporary things, should we not work hard for eternal things waiting for us? The answer should be a resounding Amen!! We as believers should want to hear these words “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your LORD!”

The rewards we get we will more than likely lay them at Jesus’s feet, Because He is the only one worthy of receiving all Honor and Glory. He is our Reward! We will follow the example of the twenty-four elders found in Revelation. 

The twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

REVELATION 4:10-11
Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

7) The Great White Throne Judgment:

Just like there will be rewards for God’s children and servants, there will be justice served on God’s enemies and there will be no eternal injustice.

REVELATION 11:18
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great--and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

Enduring Word: The nations were angry: They are angry because God comes to rule. The world wants anything but the reign of God. As it says in a parable of Jesus, We will not have this man to reign over us (LUKE 19:14).

“Religion is decent but surrender to God is intolerable to the nations of this world.”

“Modern man is betting his eternal destiny that there is no final judgment.” This is a tragically fatal bet. The holiness and righteousness of God demand that He execute perfect justice on the final day. At the end of human history, God will judge the world, and His eternal purpose for redemptive history will, at last, be fulfilled. ~ R.C. Sproul

REVELATION 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

This is not a trial, trying to determine what the facts are.

The facts are in; here is the sentencing of someone already condemned. 

“Their standing posture means that they are now about to be sentenced.” (Theologian John. Walvoord)

Who is sentenced?

We just read “anyone”; in another verse it says, “he who does not believe”. In the book of Corinthians, it has a big list, those who do wrong:

1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

The problem is that there is no one to represent these people and the Judge is the LORD Jesus Christ and the prosecutor is the Holy Law of GOD that shines its pure light on their sins of crimes against the Throne of GOD (ROM 3:19), unrepented of, though the blood price had been made by the LAMB of GOD.

All must face the Judge! There will be no calling in sick, postponing, or mistrial. The verdict is guilty, and those dreadful words that come from the One whom they rejected: “Depart from Me I never knew you”.

When are they sentenced?

After the Millennial Reign.

REVELATION 20:5a
The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed…

Why are they sentenced?

For refusing, for rejecting the free gift of salvation that is only offered through the LORD Jesus Christ. The book of Romans says that the wages or the payment received for sin is death but the free gift of God is salvation through Jesus (ROM 6:23).

It talks about books - One book is “the Book of Life”: The names written there are the ones who received the truth of GOD’s Word and His gospel!

Every sinner will be held accountable for the truth he or she heard in this life, and absent their names in the Book of Life, they will be judged based on the other “books”.

JOHN 12:48
He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

Retribution- payback, wages, due reward

2 THESSALONIANS 1:8-9
8 Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

Those who refuse to come to God by faith will, by default, be judged (and condemned) by their works. ‘You can either have Jesus as Savior or Judge”

We read about sinners being judged according to their good and bad works. Why is that? Because this will determine the degree of punishment in hell. Jesus Christ is a righteous judge and He will assign each sinner the place that he or she deserves.

There are degrees of punishment for unbelievers, according to their works (MATT 11:20-24). Here is where they are sentenced to their specific eternal punishment.

Where are they sentenced?

At the Great White Throne Judgement.

Hell aka the Lake of Fire is prepared for those escorted from that throne to spend an eternity in perdition.
The question that some of you might have heard before is, “Why would a good God send anyone to Hell?”

First of all I think we are asking the wrong question. Why would a good God allow any sinner into His Holy Kingdom I think is the right question!

The answer is He doesn’t; Hell was not created for humans

The Lake of Fire was prepared for the devil and his angels (MATT 25:41). Men only go to this place prepared for the devil and his angels if they reject God’s salvation and condemn themselves.

Furthermore hell is a witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin. Hell is also a witness to man’s responsibility, the fact that he is not a robot or a helpless victim but a creature able to make choices.

If we once saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as hell exists.

This is the second death:

“As there is a second and higher life, so there is also a second and deeper death. And as after that life there is no more death, so after that death there is no more life.” (Theologian Henry Alford)

MATTHEW 25:46
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

You can escape this terrible judgment by trusting Jesus as your personal Savior. In doing this you will not be part of the Second resurrection or experience the terrors of the Second death in hell.

JOHN 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Have you passed from death into life? Today is the day of salvation

We have learned about the rapture, the judgment seat of Christ and The Great White throne. Two out of the three we definitely want to be a part of. 

Even with the Great White Throne, we might have participation as the Bible tells us we will judge the world and judge angels (1 COR 6:2-3). Just like Jesus said there is only one way to get there and that is through Him. If you are in Christ, you are secure and you will be with your Savior soon. So let us look up because our redemption draws near or nigh!

HEBREWS 10:37
For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.

FOR MORE on PROPHECY UPDATES, check out the ATHEY CREEK Church presentation here: