| the gathering storm |
| "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." [Matt. 16:2-3] Christ's Rebuke comes to the Pharisees and Sadducees for their ability to examine the meteorological evidence and predict the weather, while failing to read the evident signs of the hour and comprehend the unfolding of God's plan and program.[BSB] The nightly cable "News", weather forecasts and talking-heads, along with the daily print-media, are no more insightful today than secular pundits believed themselves to be in the first century. |
| The Lord's earlier (O.T.) rebuke to Israel regarding her continuing lack of discernment: was in contrast to the birds, which follow their instincts in order to survive, she (Israel) behaves unnaturally toward her Creator. [RYR] ... "Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD." [Jer. 8:7] |
| Today, many are seeking 'discernment' of the 'times' outside the wisdom of the Church proper, yet they only find secular salve for their inquisitive ears. The Apostle Paul's counsel to Timothy could not be more relevant today ... "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." [2 Tim. 4:3-4] |
| Twenty-first century humanity has entered into the prophesized season of an ever-increasing denial of God, Jehovah Yahweh. This gainsaying is leading directly to the embracing of counterfeit religious persuasions, aberrant new-age type movements, as well as the spawning of dark-side 'religious' enclaves preaching a psychosocial gospel. This is to say nothing of the proliferating and expanding non-Christian religions around the world. |
| Denominational churches in America are experiencing a significant decline in new conversions and membership. Darwinism (vs. Creationism), atheism/agnosticism, hedonism/paganism are invading all areas of American life and our societal/cultural norms Countries like England are now only thirty-nine percent Christian, along side a rapid rise in secularism and Islamic immigration. The EU is now predominately secular. Islam is considered (2008) to be the world's single largest religious denomination, surpassing Roman Catholicism. It should not take a rocket-surgeon to have the presence of mind to ask the question, "why is all of this happening now?" |
| Recognizing the gathering storms from natural phenomenon, manmade calamities (e.g., 9-11), creeping amoralism and the beginning apostasy when juxtaposed to the biblical endtime judgments of God, is like fitting together jigsaw puzzle pieces into a recognizable whole. |
| The pre-millennial faithful and loyal body-of-Christ is looking for the prophesied gathering together of Saints, just prior to the beginning of the Tribulation Period. |
| "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." NKVJ [2 Thes. 2:3] |
| The phrase "the falling away" (he apostasia, Gk.) may be translated "the apostasy." This is a combination of a preposition meaning "from" or "away from" and the verb "to stand." The composite word means literally a "standing away from." The implication is that before "the day of the Lord [Christ]" there will occur a marked falling away of professed believers. The use of the article indicates that Paul has in mind a specific apostasy. The severe difficulties experienced by professing believers during the days of the Tribulation may cause the repudiation of Christianity by those who are not true believers. [BSB] |
| Most deplorably, there are those today professing to operate in the prophetic who are teaching the apostasy (falling away) is in effect the rapture of the Saints. The narcissistic need to distinguish one's self by offering a convoluted spin on prophetic scripture e.g., the falling away from adherence to Christian doctrine vs. the rapture of the body-of-Christ as being the same event is apostasia within itself. These teachers are part of the endtime deception set out in 2 Pet. 2:1 ... "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in damnable heresies .." The false prophets and teachers are no longer 'secretly' bringing forth their heresies, but unabashedly offering them over the open airways and teaching them in nationwide 'religious-type' seminars. |
| The apostasy (revolt against God) will prepare the way for the appearance of the man of sin, the man of lawlessness. When the Antichrist signs the false covenant (Peace Accord) with Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27), he will be identified by some for who he is.[RYR] Presently, there are those stepping onto the world political stage, as well as several international leaders already in place, who will be easily co-opted into the far reaching geopolitical government-nebulous to be created by the coming Antichrist. Most regrettably, America will not be exempt from the coming government unification/consolidations, sovereignty relinquishments, and counterfeit religious ecumenism. The coming religious ecumenical hegemony is already being orchestrated by the World Council of Churches, National Council of Churches, the religious arm of the UN, as well as several dominate denominational sects in Christendom, viz.. the Vatican. |
| Historically, societies/cultures that degenerate into a state of escalating moral laxity, almost without exception, disintegrate into secular hedonism. The 2008-9 presidential electioneering clearly evidenced deep divisions in America along party lines, domestic priorities, religious beliefs, international alliances, as well as seminal government issues facing this nation now and in the near future. America has become a nation with a 51% vs. 49% division on many national priorities. We read in Matt. 12:25, a nation, kingdom, city, people cannot stand divided indefinitely and will ultimately be brought to ruin. Yet, America continues to separate itself from the foundation of its origin, In God We Trust and motor cavalierly down the broad highway of pandemic secularism. God will not be mocked, nor contend/strive with man's waywardness forever. |
| "When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong". [Eccl. 8-11 (KJV)] |
| From a 'spiritual' perspective, we are well into the season of the suddenlies where events and happenings come upon a people and/or nations without sufficient notice to prepare. The culmination of the suddenlies will be the coming of the Day of The Lord, for the wicked which remain! [See one Thes. 5:2-3] |
| The simile of the "shadow", which vanishes with the sun and leaves no trace, emphasizes the fleeting and transitory nature of the life of the wicked.[BSB] |
| Wickedness has been endemic in humanity since the exit from The Garden. Manifest evil is now running rampant across the horizons of the earth with the real potential to annihilate all humanity (nuclear). Scripture reveals that unless Christ comes to intervene in the affairs of mankind, there will be no flesh left alive! The endtime storms are ah-gathering, both in the natural and in the realm of God's coming judgments. |
| Once national leaders allow themselves to be co-opted into the endtime deceptions, there will be few ways or means out of the overreaching monetary controls superimposed by international banking. A worldwide system of virtual, biometric, international ID registration must begin with centralized controls on the monetary exchange systems and sanctions on the accumulation of personal wealth. Scripture refers to this phenomenon as the right to buy & sell during the Tribulation Period. Ultra-bandwidth technology is already in field test for massive interactive multiple-class packet transmission, Internet-2 is in its 3rd-generation refinement, and innovative software developers are experimenting with tether-free global transmission identification modules. Geo. Orwell's 1984 is coming again. |
| Concern over Force 3-5 hurricanes, EF1-5 tornados, and possible geologic upheavals envisioned by the National Weather Service in America during 2008-09, are on the minds of many who live in regions having experienced past climatic calamities. Yet, we seem almost oblivious to the potential collapse of the tittering US economy, a continued proliferation of amoral-type legislation, forfeiture of longstanding Christian observances and the near-coming judgments of Gods, as He brings forth the outworking of His endtime Plan. The storms are ah-gathering in the natural, the spirit realm and among/between desperate men and their political/religious strongholds. Going 'Green' is not an elixir for these type dangers literally lurking at our national doorstep. |
| America seems to wait on the unexpected external event to change/impact the internal malaise. It took Pearl Harbor ('41) to create America's "war machine", it took 9-11 to bring about a Homeland Security Agency and what will it take to turn America around and headed back to its Christian roots and trust in God's ways and absolutes? The existential poet,Andrew Marvell wrote, "But at my back I always hear Time's winged chariot hurrying near." Presidential contenders, international political movers-'n-shakers, and even military leadership are asking for more time to accomplish and/or complete their planed objectives. We are moving into a time compression of unfolding events, accentuated by coming suddenlies, with so much held in denial, by so many. "More time" is not the answer as such, but it is how we submit and call upon The Creator of time ... "all things were made by Him, and for His good pleasure". Can we interpret the signs of the times? |
| The eye of the storm is a meteorological term for a hurricane/cyclone characterized by a low-pressure system center (eye) with force winds rotating around the center point . The eye-area is defined as a space of relative calm with force-danger turbulence swirling in 360° circumference. America, and other Christian-centric nations, are literally in the eye of the storm of endtime prophetic events. Israel/Zion is clearly moving into the 'thick of the storm', as prophecies in Ezek. 38 & 39 approach their manifest. The deceptiveness of the 'perceived' calm is a misnomer and lessens the sense/awareness of impending danger(s). A container-nuke, GSP detonated in NY Harbor, would probably get our attention tout de suite. Such an event would tank our economy, force a recall of military assets abroad, and force America into a posture of National Protectionism. |
| Can we see the coming prophetic storms just topping the horizon, now the size of a man's hand? Where is the clarion call from the pulpits in America, "repent, for your redemption draweth nigh"? We have natural eyesight, insight, foresight, yet seemingly sparse spiritual sagacity (prophetic sightedness). A watchman on the wall has the demanding obligation to proclaim that which he sees coming. The watchman blows the shofar, proclaims his message and his work is complete for that time. Those which choose not to listen, signature their own fate. |
| A psychosocial/sinless gospel, ethnocentric spew, prosperity talismans, and entertainment-type Christianity are in increasing evidence within many an America church house. A measurable amount of 'Christian' television has become entertainment orientated, gold-digging and celebrating more the messenger than the redemptive message of Christ's gospel. Without a Sin sermon, there is no need for redemption. Without the need for redemption, Christ's completed work at the Cross was for naught! When a 'representative' sample of church attendees was surveyed as to "when was the last time you heard a Blood Sermon from your local pulpit or on that weekly 'Christian' television broadcast?", the large majority were not able to remember one, or believed there had not been one outside of the Passover week's messages. We are surely at the very beginning of falling away period (apostasy), and it is NOT the rapture event! As said earlier, America seems to wait upon that external challenge (disaster) before it is jostled loose from its "all is well" dream-like slumber. |
| Severe natural climatic changes occur with some seasonal regularity, and have scientifically understandable causes. The gathering eschatological storms of the endtime season will not be altogether as easily understood e.g., 9-11 was a one-time event, at least up to the present. The coming endtime storms are in all likelihood unavoidable, irrespective of the "Dominion Now" religious ideologies (man can purpose to order the world and directly influence its endtime fate). Either God has set Providence in motion and orchestrated its pathway to fulfillment, or à la Darwin and mankind have claim to such authority. |
| When the coming calamities commense, those praying to Gaia, the Queen of Heaven, Darwin etc. will only have the empty echo of their own prayers to be comforted by and rely upon. The endtime storms to be released from the bowls of the earth are set out in the Book of Revelation. The only storm insurance (fig.) we can have complete trust in, is framed in Christ's promises, His fulfilled and completed work at the Cross, His resurrection and His second coming. The title of your Policy is, Salvation by Grace and His Grace Alone. The Policy provisions are Eternal and irrevocable. If you have not done so already, vow not to become a casualty or victim of the coming storms, nor a spoil to the enemy. For "your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." [1Pet. 5:8] The "enemy knows he has but a short time", and his attacks will only increase in their intensity, frequency and ferocity. Do a spiritual self-inventory today, and make certain you are ready for what is to come, anticipated or unexpected! |
| The plea of this commentary is, do not be lulled by the seeming outward un-eventfulness of this season ... those who will persevere to His appearing, are preparing to be in readiness, now. |
| Jon D. Hannum, Ph.D. |
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