Left Behind Pt 2

Left Behind Pt 2 Psalm 97

Setting: Wrath of God

Antichrist has come in as the saviour of the world. 

The world had turned with pestilences, famines, economic disintegration through hyper inflation. 

There is worship of the environment and idols were the only other source of mixed comfort for the people.

The lord 

PSALM 97

¹ The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. ² Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. ³ A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. ⁴ His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. ⁵ The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 

⁶ The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. ⁷ Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. 

⁸ Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. ⁹ For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. ¹⁰ Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 

¹¹ Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. ¹² Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Liam does not know when Christianity was legal in Switzerland, but what he does know is that very few of the old established religions are even tolerated today. It’s not so much that Christianity is now illegal, but that none but one is tolerated today, only The Unified Hope is tolerated as the true religion, all else is considered idolatry and incredibly, punishable by death.

Such a notion might have sounded extreme if this were spoken of a couple of decades ago, the idea of capital Punishment for believing differently was historically seen only at the most extreme end of religious fundamentalism, but the new Global Education system begun by Pope Francis in the 2020’s spoke of creating a “New Humanism”, sadly toleration of this endeavour had eventually led it to become an absolute. 

One that all people had to be unified in believing in order for man to make that next evolutionary ascendance.

Pope Francis was the last of the Catholic Popes, that office had been transformed since the revealing of the messiah a little over three years ago. Today that office is no longer that of  Pontifex Maximus, but simply that of Prophet. 

That previous title has been assumed by the one all people are charged to refer to as The One, with a Captital “O”, or He and Him with a Capital “H”; it was all how the New Age of Aquarius had referred to the One most people now simply refer to as “Savior” with a capital “S”.

And ‘savior’ seems to be just how to have described him after all that has occurred in the last decade.

Liam Hopler was a graduate of the University of St Gallen, in St Gallen Switzerland, it was founded at the turn of the 19^th century and became one of the most prestigious business and Finance Universities in Europe. 

After his graduation he transferred to the United States where he began his finance career working as a Runner in the New York Stock Exchange on Wall st. He was only 23 years old and his first day on the job would go down in history, at least for him, as the most remarkable 1st day on the job of all.

After a few jobs gathering the money for his travel, having secured his working permit, Liam took flight and landed at the JFK Airport in New York. Less than a week later he was standing in front of Paul Tudor Jones, who became a legend after that very day.

That day was the 19^th of October, 1987, a day also known as Black Monday. It was a day that essentially began the previous Thursday afternoon, but it had it’s climax on the Monday when the markets went into freefall, and Liam was there for the whole day.

For other runners that day was a day of agony, but Liam’s work with Paul Tudor Jones became a day of both ecstasy and curiosity that will change his life.

Paul Tudor Jones, together with his Chartist, Peter Borish, identified an incredible pattern of trades that almost perfectly matched what occurred before the Great Crash of 1929; but what occurred over a period of two months almost sixty years earlier would happen over two days this time.

This anticipation had Tudor Jones risk his clients Capital by short selling stocks anticipating the crash to come. While thousands of traders literally lost the shirts off their backs, Paul Tudor Jones realised more than 125% profit for his clients and netted over $100 million dollars in commissions.

It was not only that Liam was working on the floor of the New York Exchange that day, but it was that he worked for a man who anticipated an event that no other person on the exchange was able to foresee. This anticipated event, that manifested itself to reality, altered the course of Liam Hopler’s life.

It would be another forty years before this opportunity would present itself again, and Liam had spent his life preparing. But there was something that soon happened, that Liam had not ever prepared for.

There is an incredible passage in the Bible that simply states;

³ A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. (Prov 22:3)

The fictional account given above has a basis on that which is true. 

Paul Tudor Jones is a legend in the Share Market, he is still around today. His company, Tudor Investments Corporation has been going since 1980. Forbes Magazine has his net worth at $5.1 Billion Dollars.

It began with the confidence he demonstrated in being able to see what few others could see developing before his eyes, and he committed himself to it completely and reaped where others had lost.

Verses 3 & 4 in our passage in Psalm 97 says ³ A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. ⁴ His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.

The timing of this is likely to be in the midst of the Tribulation period, it’s where the fury of the Lord is poured out upon the wicked of the world.

It’s a time of judgment and it’s like nothing that has ever been seen before. And what is most sad regarding it is that it has been written about in the Bible for thousands of years, YET so few took warning.

Peter Borish was the right hand man of Paul Tudor Jones in 1987, all he did was map out the events of the days in 1987 in comparison to the events of 1929 and he was able to perfectly anticipate the same scenario, he KNEW a crash was coming and he knew it so well he bet his entire company and career on it.

 The BIBLE maps out for us the events of history, not only past history, but most tellingly, future history. All we need to do is to compare the events of today with what the Bible teaches about the before the end, and we can perfectly anticipate what is ahead.

We can confidently bet our lives on it!

This portion of the Bible speaks descriptively of that time in the midst of the tribulation. 

³ A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

Of that end of days; 

Isaiah writes: “ Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” (Isa 24:6)

Daniel, who writes specifically of the times of the end writes; “¹⁰ A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7:10)

And what of Malachi in the last book of the Old Testament, and the last chapter of the Old Testament writes of a time yet future, of THIS time saying: “¹ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1)

Tudor Jones had seen calamity coming, he did not create it, but he could see it was coming, and he TOOK action and profited while the world around him fell apart.

How many signs do the people of the world need? How many signs will they need at this time in the scriptures?

What mapping are the people who are here at that time going to employ to know what is coming and profit thereby?

Will they save themselves while the world around them burns?

Turn with me to Revelation 16:8-11 and we will see directly how many people will react when it comes.

What you will witness here is the last set of judgments that fall upon man in the last part of the tribulation from which we link and consider also our passage in Psalm 97.

It is the fourth angel who pours out a fiery burning on those during the coming time;

“⁸ And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. ⁹ And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. ¹⁰ And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, ¹¹ And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”

Is it vague?

Is the passage unclear?

So many don’t teach the book of revelation or ANYTHING about prophecy because they claim it is all too difficult to understand, is this difficult to understand?

Has it ever occurred before?

So, it is yet future?

Is it difficult to understand or is it just unpleasant?

During the weeks that followed black Monday, Liam witnessed many people coming to Tudor Jones and testifying that all he had spoken of before they just did not want to believe. Life seemed good and people thrived and to think that such an end was immanent was not something they wanted to hear, so they just tuned him out.

Now, empty of pocket, they accept that he had been right all along.

Liam remember the history of the “roaring twenties” before the great crash of 1929 and came to understand that this is simply how people are. They don’t like bad news and seem to just want to continue to think all things will go on being well, and they just don’t prepare themselves. 

Tudor Jones had seen the warning signs, he had seen the excess, he had seen the market go up and up in complete contrast to the actual value of the stocks, but what he had seen more evidently than anything was that which could be described in one word, “Complacency”.

There is a passage in the Bible that perfectly describes such complacency and identifies it interestingly enough with those who both take and give warning;

Turn with me because it is a passage not often quoted but well worth remembering.

¹⁶ A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident. (Prov 14:16)

Verse 5 of our text today says ⁵ The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 

This is the state of the world prior to the return of Christ.

Of that “Day of trouble” Naham writes “⁵ The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. ⁶ Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him” (Na 1:5-6)

You who are here and are listening to this sermon today, ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE WARNING as a wise man or woman? Or are you determined to be as “the fool that rages and is confident”?

You think that somehow you will wait until that day and that hour, even though the signs of the times are so evidently before you. But be sure to understand that if you don’t take warning now, there is NO guarantee you will hide yourself then?

There is no risk to you right now to turn to Christ, but your life will likely be forfeit if you do it then.

Today, if you refuse to wear your mask you are not permitted to enter into certain shops, but what will it be like if you refuse to take the mark of the beast?

Today you can “Click and collect”, but in that day you won’t be able to buy or sell ANYTHING without it.

You don’t have the courage to turn to Christ today when it costs you NOTHING, it is extremely unlikely some of you will turn to Christ in THAT day when it will cost you everything else.

Are you going to take warning?

Liam is glad he purchased the small farm more than twenty years earlier. Though he had been awaiting the event that might enrich him as it did Tudor Jones, he also knew he couldn’t wait much longer for what he saw coming. He remembers reading a quote somewhere that spoke of preparation for an untimely event, it simply said “It’s better to be ten years too early, than a minute too late”.

He purchased the small farm In Lyssach, Switzerland, just a twenty-minute drive North East of Bern. It was close enough to the city, but far enough away to not attract too much attention. 

But the attention had caught up with him nonetheless. 

Never in his wildest dreams did Liam expect that his few chickens, dairy cow and goat would create the animosity it did. When he first purchased the farmlet his close family and friends were pleased to have enjoyed some of the benefits that came from it, but things began to rapidly change after the disappearances; people who once accepted his free gift of Eggs began to question him about the health of his chickens, those who enjoyed some of the cheeses and milk produced from his dairy cow, now demanded his destroy his few animals for the sake of the environment. 

Soon laws were passed that prevented Liam from owning ANY livestock, including those few Chickens. Animal Liberation took on a completely novel and very literal meaning. MEAT WAS BANNED, not just in Switzerland, but all over the world at the same time.

But that was not all.

Each Year, in the day that once began as an annual reminder of the value of the environment, Earth Day replaced the celebration of Christmas, Christmas was now illegal, Earth Day was now the day that people exchanged gifts one to another. 

Earth day also required the drone delivered Candles to be lit and added to peoples stories on Social Media as proof of their homage to mother nature. Fines were readily issued against ANY lack of reverence for that day.

But that was not all.

A statue was created and designed that was an hermaphrodite version of Baphomet, the winged goat creature previously honoured by the Church of Satan, it was placed in the city or town square of every nation and, twice per year, at the winter and summer solstice of each nation, a celebration was had in which it was compulsory to attend and to lay gifts. 

A type of hymn would be sung, then a sermon on The Unified Hope preached, afterward was a time of quiet contemplative prayer offered to what was otherwise a previously unknown god.

Verse 6 and 7 reads;

⁶ The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. ⁷ Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all yegods. 

There is now, and there certainly will be then, a great vanity developing toward worship. 

We think that religion is what people hate, we think spirituality is what many are against, and yet the exact opposite is true.

1. First and foremost man was created to worship. Man honors and worships many things, from money to a variety of gods. For men it can be their jobs, for women their children, for children their ambition; whatever it is that is other than the God of heaven and earth, it is still worship and it is still idolatry.
2. The devils desires to receive worship. Once man turns away from worshipping the true God to worshipping any god, it will not be long before he will find himself worshipping the god of this world, the devil.
   1. We have spoken about Bible versions in the same way. Once the true word of God is created doubt in, then people will turn away from it and find whatever version suits themselves (Idolatry), but a day will come when all versions will be banned but the one created for the global religion that will come.
      1. Is that in the scriptures? Not in plain sight, no. But it has both a historical and a logical precedent. It’s October 2020 that I make this claim, mark it, and see for yourself when the time comes.
      1. There is a basic principle that applies and that is, when absolutes are rejected, anything will do. 
         1. The Bible puts it this way, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled” (Titus 1:15)

It is Revelation 13 that tells us the entire world will worship the beast, turn there with me.

^“2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. ³ And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. ⁴ And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Rev 13:2-4)

Verse 11 speaks of the false prophet and verse 12 says  ¹² And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 

If you see this know that the end is at hand with even more things coming to pass.

Verse 13 speaks of great wonders performed, that he even makes fire come down from heaven.

Verse 14 a command is given to make an image to the beast with all the world ordered to worship it

If you see this, know that your eternal soul is in the greatest of peril. It is at this time that the danger of losing your life is not the greatest danger, verse 15, read with me;

¹⁵ And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

My friends and those of you who hear this sermon today and ignore it, and find yourselves on the earth at this time, should you honor the Beast and fall down to worship his image rather than God, it is one step only left that will secure your damnation for all eternity and that step is found in the very next verse;

 ¹⁶ And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: ¹⁷ And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

This is the mark of the beast. It is not now, it is at the three and a half year point of the tribulation. To know more of the expositional identity of the mark consider part 7 of the Time of The Signs series….OR simply read and re – read verses 16,17 and 18 of this chapter in the book of Revelation and bring out what is logical, simple and clear directly from the text.

Simply put;

1. The mark is for ALL people.
2. The mark has locality, in (not ‘on’) the right hand or forehead
3. The mark is the medium of exchange, buying and selling.
4. The mark has an identifier, 6 threescore and 6, or 666.

Revelation 20:4 tells us an additional detail, simply that beheading is appointed to those who refuse the mark.

But Revelation 14:9&10 warn that eternal damnation is appointed to all who receive the mark.

Beloved, the devil desires voluntary worship. No man is indicated in this passage to be held down and administered the mark. All people will volunteer accepting it.

Those who do not, will be killed.

Therefore the mark IS voluntary

Liam was a wealthy man, but lived modestly with his wife and two daughters. He managed the funds of other people and made an excellent living from it, anticipating trends in the market and making decisions accordingly. 

Liam won more than he lost and, in the end, that is the ultimate secret in being successful in this business.

It was the ongoing development of High Frequency Trading platforms dominated by nation Banks that finally put an end to his career as a trader, these computer driven algorithms that made millions of trades per second, took all emotion and risk out of the market. 

Sadly, most of the companies of the world began to slowly close or were purchased by larger ones during the years after The Collapse, until finally there were only five actual companies in all the world, through which all smaller businesses served essentially as serfs.

Even the Nation Banks had closed: today there is only one bank in the world simply called ‘The Bank’, which was a merger of both The World Bank and The Bank of International Settlements.

 This reality therefore closed all the share markets of the world, the so called – ‘evil Wall Street’ where people freely traded stocks, gave way to the ultimate ‘have and have nots’. The 1% became the .1% and the poor became the rest of the worlds population.

“And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine” (Rev 6:6)

 Long Before The Disappearances, Liam anticipated his career was going to change, and change it did. Liam became a freelance Photographer and travelled the continent Photographing and documenting the dramatic changes that occurred in the lives of people on the continent. Air travel was not the option it was when he purchased the farm, it was prohibitively expensive and really only an option to the World Government’s High officials, executives of the five companies, but it was more than enough to keep him occupied in the Old Europe.        

It was during one of these photographic excursions that led him to Torre Pellice, in the Piedmont Valley of Northwest Italy, only a few kilometres from the border of France.  It was here that Liam met Dr Mark McMeley, a retired American tour guide and historian of the persecuted Christian people known as the Waldenses. It was Dr McMeley that shared the Gospel with Liam and transformed his life for eternity.

⁸ Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. ⁹ For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. ¹⁰ Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 

Many people will come to Christ during the period known to us as The Tribulation, or The Day of Trouble.

One is the voice of an angel preaching the Gospel to all the world. This is found in Revelation 14:6-7

⁶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, ⁷ Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

As for a timeline, this is noted in the midst of the seven year period, at the 3.5 year point approximately.

Another was earlier, and that was the 144,000 messianic Jews, supernaturally protected, preaching this gospel to all the world. No, they are NOT Jehovahs Witnesses, they are specifically Jews. God takes the trouble to identify them very specifically;

Revelation 7:4-8

And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ⁵ Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. ⁶ Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. etc

And these are not sealed now, they are manifested to the world after the sixth seal of the tribulation period.

Lastly there are the two witnesses in Jerusalem who will testify to the truth of God and of his Christ;

Rev 11:3-6 

 ³ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. ⁴ These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. ⁵ And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. ⁶ These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Multitudes will be save during this time of great trouble beloved. Today is the broad way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat, but in the day of trouble, during the time of great tribulation, no such description is given respecting the lost, but the opposite is given.

Turn to Revelation 7:9-10

⁹ After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; ¹⁰ And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Verse 13

¹³ And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? ¹⁴ And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

In reading it in the simple context of the passage the specificity respecting the timing of their salvation is clear. 

Psalm 97:8

⁸ Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.

Dr McMeley was brought up in a Christian home but never came to believe the truth of Christ until after the Disappearances, which he referred to as The Rapture, Mark was the most classic picture of one who was left behind when all his family were caught up to be with the Lord. It was Mark that told Liam of all that was yet to occur. 

Liam believed the Gospel, and he trusted that what Mark was saying was right, but he desired proof of it. It was then that Mark produced a very rare copy of the printed Bible.  

During the years of the Global Education Revolution, all copies of the Bible in all versions were destroyed, including digital copies. The regular software updates of all operating systems had a built-in “search and destroy” algorithm that mined the databases of personal computers and smart devices and destroyed all copies of the Bible, ever version in every language. 

Physical copies of the Bible were illegal, any person discovered with a copy was indefinitely detained for the safety and well being of the people.

But it was not only the Bible, all so called ‘holy books’ were destroyed and to be replaced with just one version of The Unified Hope.

But Mark retained at great risk a copy of the Bible and showed Liam the passages that spoke of that which is to come, and he believed it all.

Psalm 97:11-12

¹¹ Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. ¹² Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

If this time has not yet come, then the time for you to believe the Gospel is now!

The apocalyptic Psalms provide a broad consideration of that which is to come, but it is only in light of that which the Bible specifically identifies respecting that time that we can know of a certainty what is told, and then believe.

Next week we close this series within a series.

Next week we will see what occurs both when Christ returns to judge, and then to rule and reign in the millennium.

But don’t wait till then to believe the Gospel. Don’t wait, don’t wait, don’t wait. 

Everything changes so quickly, don’t wait.

Will you take God at his word?