Avoidance Survival in the “Light” of Bible Prophecy

A Spiritual Perspective
    “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:11-18 (Emphasis supplied.)
    “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Romans 16:17-20 (Emphasis supplied.)”
    “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.* 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2Timothy 3:1-13 * (Emphasis supplied.)
    “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. 3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” 1Timothy 6:1-11 * (Emphasis supplied.)
    One of the greatest issues with which followers of Christ are assailed by and warned against is that of going the way of the wicked – following after evil. Throughout Scripture God warns and admonishes His people to avoid evil and to turn away from evil doers. We are also warned that, once such a path is embarked upon, it is difficult to turn again from it because, once a person is ensnared within its grasp, it wraps itself around them and closes the avenues of escape — all except for one — Jesus. He will gladly provide a path from evil and with great delight will draw us to Himself and eternal life.

    Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, says,

    “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.” 1Corinthians 10:13-15
    To doubt that God is able to deliver us from evil and provide “...a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it...” is to also doubt His faithfulness and ability to save AT ALL! Paul was speaking “as to wise men” and only the “wise” recognize that the God of Wisdom gives this assurance – and that wisdom comes from God, through His Word. (See also, Daniel 12:1-3)

    To render a correct understanding of the "end times” must consider prophecy in the light of history and, conversely, history in the light of prophecy. God is a Spirit, a Holy Spirit (See John 4:24) of that we can be sure. Prophecies, and their fulfillment, are spiritual because they are of God. Our God of Love is also a God of prophecy, given as warning to “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) He enlightens those who will listen, teaches them what to listen for and what to watch and pray for, that they might be in accordance with His will. The only way to determine what His will is, of course, is to know what is determined by Scripture, simply because that is the instrument through which God tells us what to listen for, what to watch for, and subsequently, what to pray for and how to pray.

    The main focus of Bible study and history must be centered in Christ, His life, crucifixion and resurrection because,

    “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:3-5

    In studying prophecy, with Christ as the center of all things (including history) His prophetic utterances take on a special meaning and edify those who serve Him in the last days of Earth’s history. He not only explains what must happen to them and how they will, for Christ’s sake, be persecuted and offended in the last days, but also what must happen in them if they are stand in the Day of God’s wrath. Christ tells us in Matthew 24 and Luke 13 that endurance in the end times is paramount, in spite of what might be coming to pass all around. (See Matthew Chapter 24 and 25 and Luke Chapter 13)

    In 2Timothy 3:12 we are told that “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” In these passages of Scripture there are warnings, admonitions and pleadings from Christ that, if we will but heed, will enable us to endure. Also, very prominent in these passages is the fact that some will endure. There are many passages that speak of those who live in the last days – those who follow the Lamb, Christ wherever He goes and those who do not. In most of these instances, the characters of these two groups of individuals are greatly contrasted and the character they possess and the way their character is revealed, will determine whether they are of Christ or of the world.

    “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:7-12
    While I do not claim to fully understand the prophetic visions of John on the Isle of Patmos in regard to what happens just prior to Christ’s Second Coming, I am not alarmed by events that are unfolding in the world, today. As a student of the Bible for the past 25 years, the fulfillment of the prophecies in the book of Revelations have become very real and with the overlay of history, they have been given meaning. Great care must be taken to not misapply or overemphasize what might “seem” to be a particular fulfillment of prophecy, especially when it hinges on current events. While one may be tempted to apply a specific activity or focus too much attention on a particular fulfillment of prophecy, one must remember that prophecy has seldom been fulfilled in a recognizable form at the time it is being fulfilled.

    On the other hand, Jesus would have us take His prophecies seriously, and would have us be led into all truth concerning them. There will be a last generation when the final prophecies will be fulfilled and Jesus will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There will be a last child born and a last person to die. There will be a last sin committed and a last day in which the sun will rise. This is the day that Jesus will return to deliver His people from the curse of Sin.

    According to the prophetic timetables, given in the book of Daniel, time is no longer a consideration, Christ could have come any time after 1844 (the ending date of the 2300 year time-centered prophecy). Yet, there are those who teach that Christ actually returned to Earth in 1914, for which there is no evidence. Others said that the world would end in 1981 and others touted Y2k (the year 2000) as the beginning of the downfall of society, as we know it, which did not happen by any stretch of the imagination. There are those who speak of 2012 being the last year planet Earth will exist as we know it. They use the fact that the Mayan, Aztecan and Incan calendars calculate no further than the year 2012.

    There are also many that still attempt to set a time and date for Christ’s Second Coming, even though he declared that no one would know the day or the hour of His return. Quite often they do not know that they are diverting attention and confusing many in regard to their real need of preparing for Christ’s return and the executive judgment of the living and the dead. The focus of our lives in these end times, should be the personal preparation that is needed to stand on that great and dreadful day of the Lord. Christ is coming again soon, in all His glory, but it is not for us to know the day or the hour. However, Jesus did tell us that there would be signs that would make it possible for us to know that His coming was near "…even at the doors…" (Matthew 24:33) While the signs given by Jesus in Matthew, chapter 24 and Luke, chapter 13 will most assuredly come to pass, they are now only in the preparation stages. However, the trend toward a One World Government is easy to discern, if one has a view that includes Bible prophecy in their perspective. Revelaton 13:7-10 clearly states,

    “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”
    Notice that, during the time that war is being waged against God's people (the saints, people or church), the patience and faith of the saints is being both experienced and expressed, living in the hope of the Coming of Christ. Our focus should always be Christ, but that being true, our attention is attracted to His prophetic statements regarding last day events and how they affect God’s people. These are also rendered in Scripture as end times, end of time, end of days, last times, etc. Throughout history, the books of Daniel and Revelation have been finding fulfillment in world-dominant powers, and a succession of nations. Men, by a variety of ways and means (many of them conspiratorial and devious) have attempted to bring the world under one power and all attempts have failed. (Hitler, in particular, is the last visible attempt at WOrld DOminance. In the book of Daniel God is recorded as saying: “…they shall not cleave one to another….” (Daniel 2:43) This refers to the countries of Europe throughout history, in all its phases and changes. Charlemagne, who became the first “Holy Roman emperor,” tried and failed. Many Kaisers made the attempt and were denied success. There were marriages between princes and princesses and kings and queens that were meant to mingle territorial holdings, but these, too, failed to accomplish the task. Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Hitler and a multitude of others could not overcome God’s edict.

    Today, we have Europe United (EU) with only a couple of nations opting to remain sovereign, and much to the chagrin of the members who desire totality, they have voted to not accept the European Union “Constitution” because it means that the whole country surrenders its sovereignty. We also have the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) vying for control and the United Nations (equal to the EU in Europe and with a similarly harmonious, constitution) is becoming more and more powerful each time another member nation joins or another war erupts. The World Court is now seen as the court that will soon decide all international matters.

    There are both general and specific events and/or activities must still take place in order for the prophecies of Scripture to find their fulfillment(s). All prophecies of Scripture will come to pass – God will not stop one jot or tittle short of complete fulfillment. I am astonished at the speed with which some of the prophecies continue to develop.

    Attention to prophetic development is a great privilege, one that, when guided by the Holy Spirit, can reap great rewards and supply to us a great deal of understanding. The signs of Jesus’ imminent return are all about us. Watching the governmental positioning and the double-speak that does not match up with what is actually taking place, and recognizing America's false reasoning for going to war and/or invading other countries with impunity (with no fear of punishment) seems to be a large part of today’s foreign policy. The system of government that will ultimately be responsible for enforcing the mark of the beast is now in its final stages of formation. Organizations, some very clandestine and mysterious, are acting under various new laws (or amendments to already existing laws) of which the common man has no knowledge. Law Enforcement at all levels is being linked together through databases that contain information on everyone with a Social Security Number, a bank account or a driver’s license. Information is more easily shared between agencies by means of ever-improving communications/surveillance systems. Although we can now worship God as we choose, controls are being placed for the purpose of one day denying our religious liberty and freedom to exercise beliefs in accordance with our own consciences.

    While some see this view as conspiratorial or paranoid, the Bible clearly teaches that the issue in the last conflict will be one of religious liberty – the ability to worship God in accordance with the dictates of our own concsience.

    In Revelation 14:8-10 a warning message is delivered by an angel, sent from God that reads:
    “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:”


    Receiving the mark of the beast or the seal of God is a matter of Worship – Who and/or what we worship. Those who worship Babylon and are ensnared by its trappings will suffer the fate of all Babylonians.

    Not everyone who refuses to worship the beast and his image or receives the mark of the beast will be saved. Many don’t even know what constitutes the mark of the beast, because they have not studied, for themselves, but rather, are blown about by every wind of doctrine. However, anyone who receives the seal/mark of God in his forehead will be is blessed and will inherit Eternal life. Failing to receive the seal of God is just as disastrous as receiving the mark of the beast.



    One of the greatest forewarnings found in Scripture is "be ye not deceived." To what does Jesus refer in this statement? Surely, He must be referring to the things that are going on about us. When He admonishes us to watch and pray, what are we to watch for and pray about? Surely, again, it must be the events and activities that are transpiring in our midst. There are lists regarding issues that we are to be on guard against, such as false prophets, false teachers, false pastors and false christs. In each of these several warnings is revealed a development of the fact that, in the last days, there will be an abundance of deception. Being a good person will not, necessarily, keep us out of harms way. Contrariwise, following Christ and living a godly life will, indeed cause us to "be hated of all nations…" for His name’s sake. And as we are informed by Timothy, above, "…all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." So, in the light of Scripture, It would be wrong if someone were to say that, by following Christ or by testifying to His goodness, a person could avoid persecution. Not only is this not true, it is one of the deceptions of the last days. We will discuss this further, in a later portion of this study, relative to the manner and time of Jesus’ Second Coming.



    Jesus began one of His great dissertations, recorded in Matthew Chapter 24 with the words, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” (verse 4) in answer to three questions that were posed to Him by His disciples. They had just departed from the temple in Jerusalem and were standing outside. His disciples came to Him “to show Him the buildings of the temple.” Jesus answered them, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

    Then, they all went up to the Mount of Olives and the disciples came to him and said, "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

    There are three questions that the disciples wanted answered.
  1. When shall these things be?
  2. What shall be the sign of thy coming?
  3. What shall be the sign of the end of the world?
    It can be argued that the second two questions are the same or that they can be satisfied with one answer. However, this is not how Jesus answers them. He gives distinct answers to each of three separate questions.

    First of all, Jesus knew that every stone of the temple would, indeed, be "thrown down" and that not one stone would be left on top of another. Historically, this took place in 70 AD when Roman soldiers destroyed the temple. Not one stone was left on top of another. The temple was set on fire and the abundant gold ornamentation and overlay melted and ran into the cracks of the stone. The stones were "thrown down" so that the gold could be retrieved. Some see this as conjecture, and while it may, it is nonetheless true that not one stone was left upon another and Jesus’ prophetic utterance was fulfilled to the letter. However, the question was not how was this going to take place, but rather, when will these things be. Jesus does not really mention a when until verse 15. We will come back to this verse and discuss it at length, but first let’s address the signs of the end and the coming of Christ, about which they specifically desired to know.

    In answer to these inquiries, Jesus outlines specific events and activities that will (and must) take place before He comes again to receive His people unto Himself. He warns that many will come in His name and deceive many. He warns that there will be wars and rumors of wars… but His people are not to be troubled, because “the end” is not yet. “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:” (which is definitely happening today) “and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers (various, different or many) places,” but even these, Jesus says, are only “the beginning of sorrows.” Verses 9 – 13 delineate the afflictions and tribulations that will befall His people as they dedicate themselves to the wonderful privilege of representing Him in the world and testifying to His love for mankind. For this, Jesus says, then “shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” He goes on then, to tell us that during that time many will “be offended and betray one another, and shall hate one another.” Also during this time, “many false prophets shall rise, and deceive many and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” In a parallel passage, this is stated:
    “Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. 12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. 13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.” Luke 21:10-15
    We are not to concern ourselves with what we shall wear, what we shall eat, where we will sleep or what might happen to us, when we are taken before “kings.” If we are led of the Spirit, He will not only provide our needs, but also, give us words to say Which ALL our adversaries will ot be able to gainsay or resist. THey will not be able to refute your wisdom, knowledge, faith or reasoning, because it will not be ours, but rather, Jesus says, “I will give you a mouth and wisdom.”

    One of the greatest areas around which deceptions abound today is that of the manner and result of the Second Coming of Christ in all His Glory. Many believe that there will be a “second chance” after Jesus returns a second time, but this is not what Scripture teaches. Usually, this teaching is accompanied by the deception that God’s people will not have to endure tribulation. However, if you read Matthew Chapter 24 and Luke Chapter 21, regarding the tribulations and suffering that His people must endure in the last days, it is easy to see that this teaching is also false, even though it is derived (falsely interpreted) from Scripture.

    The hand(s) from which these teachings originated, is a matter of history, and history teaches that they were not derived from Scripture. We will discuss two of these separate, yet connected, deceptions as we continue. They have been passed off as "Biblical interpretations" and accepted by the majority of Christendom. Many false teachings, based on these deceptive interpretations have be "scripturalized," meaning that, even though they are false prophecies, texts from Scripture are manipulated, mistakenly aligned and added to, so as to support false assumptions. The Bible speaks of teachings such as this in 2Peter 3:13, where is stated,
    “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”
    Recently, a very popular series of books, called “Left Behind” has been written and distributed that tends to substantiate these deceptive beliefs. While the books declare inside the cover that they are pure fiction, the majority of readers accept the contents as prophetic and believe the contents to be a correct depiction of the prophecies from God’s Holy Bible. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    Both of these teachings were concocted for the purpose of disguising the power behind the antichrist or, at the very least, to cause sufficient confusion on the matter that some would be diverted from the truth regarding both the existence and purpose of that power. That power, of course, is Satan, personified in man, “the Man of Sin.”. 2Thessalonians 2:3 Revelation 13:18 tells us, “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.” (Emphasis supplied.) In recognizing this interpretation, one equates “the beast” of Revelation to the antichrist power exposed elsewhere in Scripture. When one considers the attributes and activities of both the beast and the antichrist, it is easy to see that, while the beast and the antichrist may or may not be one and the same in person, they are, nonetheless, one and the same in their intent to deceive and destroy God’s people.

    The words of Jesus (three paragraphs above) should cause a sincere student of Scripture to question a teaching that says that His people will not have to endure suffering. But, in addition to these statements from the mind of Christ are manifold confirmations that give evidence that His people will, indeed, suffer, “but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13

    In Matthew 24:14, the very next verse, Jesus states, “...this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

    For quite some time, in my experience, this statement seemed out of place. None of the preceding passages in this entire declaration refer to the cross or overcoming of Sin by the blood of the Lamb or mention any of the other attributes that we usually refer to as “the gospel.” Yet Jesus, after warning His people that deceptions will abound in the last days and that His people will suffer betrayal and hatred “for His Name’s sake” He tells us that “…this gospel shall be preached for a witness to all nations…”

    The gospel is usually refered to as the “Good News.” Can we find good news in the foregoing declarations of Jesus? Yes, we can! It is found in verse 13.

    “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
    Regardless of what might befall a follower of Christ, regardless how afflicted His people might be, they will be saved if they endure the trials, tribulations and afflictions to which Jesus alerts them. He definitely does not say that when times get tough, He will stop aiding His people in their trouble and turmoil, or that a time will come when we can stop following Him. Additionally, it does not say that some of GOd'e peopl might die from persecution, during this time and dying the first death has nothing to do with loss of eternal life or in regard to our being saved.
    “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
    Jesus will not leave us when calamity falls. “Endure until the end” simply means to endure until, whatever you are enduring, ends. It may end by dying under persecution, or it may end, when CHrist returns for His people — those have endured until the end and never see death. It is then that we need Him most and He will never leave us nor forsake us. He sent “another Comforter” for times such as these and the same Comforter is also the One who guides us into all truth concerning both the prophecies of Scripture and manner of person He would have us become. What manner of person we become, under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit has everything to do with the fulfillment of prophecy. God would have us become what He desires us to become, regardless of (and/or in spite of) what might be transpiring around us or whether or not we are being mistreated, abused or offended.

    Jesus forewarns His people in Matthew 24:21&22, saying.
    “then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”

    This is the time for which we must be prepared. Jesus, Himself, warns us of its approach and He, Himself, supplies the power to endure.

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