Should We Continue Celebrating Christmas?

Christmas is that time of the year where nostalgia hits us square in the face. We fondly remember Christmas past spent with loved ones who handed down family traditions in which we still joyously participate. We quietly reminisce about the glow of the lights on the tree, the music, decorating the house, buying and wrapping presents, and gathering together to eat those special holiday meals. The only part of the season that most dislike is when it ends, and everything needs to be taken down, boxed up, and put away in the attic or basement for another year.

Many years ago, I was sitting in a dark room with only the glow of the lights on the tree to keep me company. I had been contemplating the meaning of Christmas for the past couple of years and had converted all of my tree ornaments to Christian themed ornaments (Angels, doves, manger, etc...) thinking that I would have a Christ centered tree every season. As I sat there in the stillness of the night, looking at the lights on the tree, I suddenly understood that what I was looking at had nothing to do with Jesus, but was, instead, my attempt to Christianize those things that had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Was it the leading of the Holy Spirit? I'd like to believe so. It was then and there that I decided that when the tree and decorations came down after New Year's Eve, I'd never put them up or celebrate Christmas ever again.

That brings me to the very crux of this article. Should we, as a body of believers, continue to celebrate Christmas? I suppose that would depend on how we answer a few critical questions. 

• Do the symbols of Christmas reflect the birth or life of Jesus? (Evergreen tree, wreath, candles in windows, yule log, holly, mistletoe, etc...). I'm not talking about gaslighting these pagan symbols and giving them new meaning to obfuscate their original and continued use by pagans (which is what's happened). I'm asking if any of these things were present and used to celebrate His birth.
• If they weren't originally used to celebrate His birth, then where did these symbols come from? What were their original meaning? Why is it not an issue that we've co-opted these symbols in order to worship God?
• Is there any scriptural or historical evidence that the early church chose one special day to celebrate the birth of Jesus? 
• When was Christmas first celebrated, and what were the circumstances and reasoning surrounding it's creation?
• What were the original traditions of Christmas?
• Is Christmas a God ordained observance, like the High Holy Days in Judaism?
• Why does Jesus' birth seem to mean more to people on this day over all other days? Shouldn't we be celebrating the joy of His birth every day?
• What can I do for others on this day that I can't do for them any other day of the year?
• Why is it permissible to use pagan and secular symbolism and traditions and claim them in the name of Jesus? Does God have a history of recycling pagan idols, symbols, etc... in our worship or celebration of Him?

As we begin asking these and other questions, we can either shut our eyes and ears to the real answers and purposely gaslight ourselves, or we can listen to the truth of the matter... that Christmas is paganism and secularism wrapped in a pretty Jesus bow, and that we participate in the holiday in order to satisfy our own fleshly desires. One desire is to experience those nostalgic feelings brought on by the flood of memories from Christmas past. We hear the holiday music and dance to songs like, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." We unpack the decorations and as we do, we unpack our fond memories of every Christmas we've celebrated. We allow ourselves to be mesmerized by the glowing lights strung on the tree; lights that reflect off of the garland, tinsel, and ornaments, making the tree shine. We put lights in the windows and on the house to let everyone know we're celebrating Christmas. We put a wreath on the door and some of us put a display up in the front yard. It's all in keeping with our holiday traditions, which adds more fuel to the fire, so-to-speak, when it comes to strengthening those feelings of nostalgia. One more year down and one more link added to the nostalgia chain that keeps us bound to this holiday.

I know that by even suggesting the discontinuance of the celebration of Christmas, it brings up a lot of issues in the mind of the born again believers who still celebrate the day. One of the first issues in dealing with this decision is... "What about the children? They'll be crushed if we stop celebrating Christmas. I'll give it more thought, but I'll wait for the kids to grow up before cancelling Christmas, if that's what I decide to do." The problem with this, is that not only is this a compromise, but you'll also be perpetuating the cycle and passing it on to another generation. It's like compromising on Halloween when you decide to forbid dressing up as anything evil or scary. You might even limit their celebration of the day by only allowing them to go to the church "Trunk or Treat" event or Fall Festival where the children can still dress up in costume and receive treats (another compromise by the church, but that's another story). Many compromise on Halloween, so it's permissible to compromise on Christmas as well. "Sure, it's all pagan symbolism, but I'm going to choose to believe that it's all about Jesus." 

Christians like to use the following scripture to justify their celebration of Christmas: "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it." (Romans 14:5-6a) There's one major flaw about quoting this scripture. It has nothing to do with pagan celebrations. You can't "regardeth it unto the Lord" if it's a pagan celebration. This scripture doesn't give permission for born again believers to indulge in pagan practices and celebrations, so this portion of scripture has been cherry picked and has been used ineffectively to defend an indefensible position. In fact, in 1Thess 5:22, we're instructed to, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." We're not told just to abstain from evil, but to abstain from even the "appearance" of evil.

So even if we're not intentionally doing anything evil, we're told that our actions are a reflection of our personal walk with the Lord. That being the case, we're not even to allow ourselves to participate, however innocently, in anything that could be perceived as evil. If you take that full circle, we can say that although we're not purposely practicing true paganism, we shouldn't be using their pagan symbolism and traditions to celebrate the birth of Jesus, no matter how innocent our actions are or how strongly we believe that it's acceptable to God, because it has the "appearance of evil." So are Rom. 14:5-6a and 1Thess. 5:22 in conflict? No, because who would participate in a pagan celebration and regard it unto the Lord? 

Who sees the celebration of Christmas as a pagan practice... an appearance of evil? Pagans. They actually see the folly of Christians using pagan symbolism and participating in pagan practices in order to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In fact, pagans encourage us to do so, because they enjoy watching "religious" people ignorantly compromising their faith. Born again believers who have had a change of heart toward the holiday also see the symbols of Christmas as compromised Christianity. So yes, it has an appearance of evil.

Christians also like to use the phrase, "God knows my heart." It's true that God knows your heart, but if your heart knows that the symbolism of Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, then He knows you're ignoring that knowledge and that you're consciously using pagan symbolism to worship Him. He knows that you're participating in order to continue celebrating a holiday that feeds your flesh and is perpetuated, by your actions, in the next generation of born again believers. Take any other symbol of paganism and idol worship and try to pass it off as Christian. You wouldn't get away with it. Then why do we slap a Jesus bow on other pagan symbols and traditions and call it acceptable? It's a contradiction, and one that can't be explained away by saying, "God knows my heart." 

I encourage you to seek the Lord, and to honestly open yourself up to the possibility that the celebration of this holiday may not be pleasing to the Lord. Celebrate Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection 24/7/365. You have the opportunity to help those in need all year long by offering them monetary assistance, food, clothing, and by sharing the message of salvation. Too many people wait until December 25th to reach out to others and do something special for them. As I've come to say often, "There's nothing you can do for someone on December 25th that you can't do for them any other day of the year." You can't love Jesus more on that day either, because that would mean you aren't loving him to your full capacity every other day of the year.

Not everyone is ready to hear this message or to accept it. I understand that. Please let me know what you think by using the comment section below. 

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Tribulation Evangelism Verses The Rapture: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

I had a really close friend who once expressed his desire to remain behind after the Rapture so that he could help evangelize his family, friends, and neighbors during the Tribulation. He wanted to be used by God to share the message of salvation during those horrific seven years of God's judgment. He couldn't see that he was using his fleshly intellect to express a fleshly desire, so he couldn't comprehend what the consequences were to this train of thought. All he understood was that he wanted to make a great personal sacrifice by missing the Rapture so that he could offer what he viewed as a more sacrificial service for the Lord. It seems like a self-sacrificing decision, but it's really a misguided and self-serving decision.

You may be asking, "What's so wrong with the desire to remain behind after the Rapture and sacrifice yourself for the greater good?" Well, to be honest, God doesn't need us here after the Rapture. If He did, he would have offered us that option, but He didn't. He's already made provision for everyone left on the earth during the Tribulation. First, many who have been evangelized... who have had that seed planted during the current church era, will become born again believers. Secondly, God is going to raise up 144,000 converted Jewish evangelists to spread the message of salvation worldwide. Finally, God's also going to send the Two Witnesses, who will be preaching and exhibiting miraculous signs in Jerusalem for the first half of the Tribulation. God has everything under control. If we're going to be making great personal sacrifice for the Lord and for the greater good, we should be making those sacrifices now, while we're here... before the Rapture. 

By refusing to participate in the Rapture, we'd also be showing great disrespect for God by refusing to joyfully and thankfully participate in the fulfillment of the greatest promise ever given to mankind... salvation. The Rapture is when we transform from corruptible to incorruptible, from mortal to immortal. The Rapture is when we get to join with the Bridegroom forever, and exist throughout eternity in the presence of God. We leave this planet, knowing that whoever is left on earth, and is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will become born again believers during the Tribulation. God has already made that provision for them without us having to be here.

If you're still not convinced, and you still want to remain behind after the Rapture, answer me this... how are you going to avoid the great escape? The Rapture happens unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye. You can't pray to miss the Rapture and hope He allows you to do so, because that's a fleshly desire and doesn't come from God. The only way to avoid the Harpazo as a born again believer is to lay down your cross and put God on ice (no, I don't believe in "once saved, always saved.") My friend decided to do just that. He began living his life in the flesh. Even early on in his Christian walk, he sometimes got drunk and he enjoyed using weed occasionally, but once he decided he wanted to remain after the Rapture, his drinking and smoking grew worse. Other areas of his life suffered as well. His plan was to live his life his own way, and just bide his time until the Rapture, at which time he'd repent and become a more committed Christian and to allow himself to be used by God to evangelize the lost. It was almost like living your life without God and relying on a deathbed conversion to save you. He didn't understand that his time was now, and that God wanted him to spread the gospel and to be used by Him now, because there's not promise for tomorrow.

Speaking of waiting for a death bed conversion and of there being no promise for tomorrow, the tragic part of this story is that my friend never made it to the Rapture. He was drinking and had a tragic, unforeseen accident a few years ago, receiving a severe head injury. They operated on him, and placed him into an induced coma... a coma he never came out of. He was considered brain dead, and then, about a week later, he stepped into eternity when his family had to make that near impossible decision of turning off his life support. They had to say goodbye to their husband, dad, and brother.

This is a warning to anyone who thinks they're going to live their life their own way and get serious with God when they decide it's the "right time." That time may never come. You may slip into eternity, like my friend did, at the most unexpected time and under totally unexpected circumstances. A fall down the stairs, t-boned by another vehicle, accidental overdose, unplanned surgical complications, heart attack, or any other number of unforeseen mishaps. 

If you love God, then love Him with all your heart, mind, strength, and spirit. Do it now! Stop waiting for the right time to get serious about, or reconcile, your relationship with Him. We don't need to be here for the Tribulation because God has already created provision for the soon-to-be born again believers who will arise during the Tribulation (people we need to be witnessing to NOW). We need to trust that God has everything under control, and that if He plans to evacuate all of us from this planet at a moment's notice, then He will raise up men and women of God, as He's done in the past, to spread the message of salvation to all who will believe and repent. 

If you want to evangelize to the world after the Rapture, there's a way to do that without actually being here. I suggest that you create some After Rapture Kits (ARK's) and leave them behind for those who are left behind. What are ARK's? They're packets of information to leave behind for those who are yet to become born again believers. You can leave bibles, tracts, music, DVD's, flash drives, etc... that have valuable Christian information. If you want to know what I have in my ARK's, just CLICK HERE.

Choosing to stay behind after the Rapture is the wrong decision, not only because you erroneously believe that you'll still be alive at that moment in time, but because you could die as a result of the Rapture, depending on where you are and what you're doing, but more importantly, because you're hindering the Holy Spirit's work in your life and you're jeopardizing your relationship with God. If you trust God, then you know that He has everything under control, and that those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will definitely receive the gift of salvation. We're needed to spread the message of salvation now. That's why were here at this point in biblical history. God doesn't need us to do that after the Rapture, but now, so that many more will have the opportunity to receive the promise of salvation, and participate in the greatest evacuation plan the world will ever experience!

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

What's To Become Of The United States During The Tribulation?

I’ve often wondered what was going to happen to the United States that would exclude it from biblical prophecy. Somehow the United States is taken out of the picture of end time events. I can only contemplate what the circumstances will be, but it will happen. I'm unaware of any scripture describing a great and powerful kingdom of the west being involved in events during the Tribulation. 

The Rapture hasn't yet happened, and already this nation is divided as the evil that was only spoken of in the dark is now being proclaimed openly. Even the church body is experiencing division. When born again believers are raptured, it's going to leave a vacuum in almost every area of society, and will cause havoc worldwide. Some countries will experience a greater loss than others, depending on the percentage of the population that are born again believers. The Rapture will cause a huge drain on human resources and services, especially here in the U.S. where we have a large Christian population. This drain on resources and services will cause a great disruption in our nation. Everything will temporarily grind to a halt at the time of the Harpazo. 

The United States has a lot of enemies because it's the one major country with whom the New World Order is having a difficult time dealing. Not only do we have a large Christian population, but we also have an even larger population that believes in personal freedom. People from other countries depend on the United States to fight tyranny and stand for personal freedom. They've expressed the fear that if the United States falls to the New World Order, then the rest of the world will have lost the most powerful beacon of freedom, and the rest of the world will fall. Because of this, we have a big target on our back. If anyone thinks that our enemies and the spiritual influences that control the New World Order won't take advantage of this nation's weakness after the Rapture, then they're deceiving themselves. Our enemies will see a moment of weakness and jump at the opportunity to end us as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the enemies within our own country can't comprehend what their participation in the creation of a New World Order will mean to them. They think they're going to receive financial gain and positions of power, but their actions are only going to lead to their own destruction.

Our enemies from without know that they won't even need to step one foot on U.S soil to defeat us. This will NOT be a "Red Dawn" type of scenario where they'll bomb major cities and then parachute in to take control of our nation, making it a years-long, drawn out, city by city, town by town, state by state fight. No, it'll be instantaneous.

Right now, China and Russia are our biggest threats. All China or Russia needs to do is help to facilitate an attack on the U.S. China can use North Korea or any one of their other allies as a proxy to attack our nation, just as Russia can use Iran or any of their own allies to be proxies for their government. The preferable method would probably be the 1-2-3 punch. They'll probably use a combination of a (1) financial attack, (2) cyber attack, and (3) EMP attack on our nation. What the financial and cyber attacks don't take care of, the EMP attack will. 

For those of you who don't know what an EMP is, it stands for Electro Magnetic Pulse. It's a wave of electromagnetic radiation. These electrons interact with power lines, metal, conductive materials, and electronics, causing power spikes. That means anything running on electricity will be fried, including vehicles, cell phones and landlines, computers, internet devices, power plants, transformers, substations, medical equipment, refrigerators, air conditions and heaters, televisions, radios (and other broadcast equipment), solar and wind power... all electrical devices rendered inoperable in a matter of seconds. 

A few strategically placed EMP's would bring this country's entire electrical grid down. Just think of what that would do to the United States.

With an EMP attack, there's no going to the local supermarket, corner store, or pharmacy to pick up a few things, because there won't be a supermarket, corner store, or pharmacy to go to. Gas pumps won't work, so you won't be able to gas up your vehicle. You also need electricity to produce goods and you need vehicles to transport them, and you need refrigeration units to keep perishables viable. If food isn't being produced or shipped, millions of people in this country would starve to death in a matter of weeks, unless they had some type of long-term emergency food and water supplies to rely on.

With our power grid down:

• Large scale farming wouldn't be viable, so we can forget about food. Farmers will be hording their crops, and the surrounding population will raid farmers' fields for food.
• Hospitals wouldn't be able to help the sick, because they wouldn't be able to use the electrical medical equipment that was fried by the EMP.
  
• Pharmaceutical companies won't be operating, so the basic meds someone takes on a daily basis would quickly run out, which would mean that those seeking medical attention wouldn't have access to any type of modern medication. Can you imagine the death toll as a result of just the lack of medication??? Cancer meds, seizure meds, blood pressure meds, antibiotics, vaccines, psyche meds (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, AHDH, etc...), angina meds, pain meds, asthma meds/inhalers, AIDS meds, migraine meds, etc... 
• There wouldn't be weekly trash pick-ups, so trash would pile up and become a bio-hazard. How long do you think it will take YOUR neighborhood to start smelling like a garbage dump and looking like one as animals tear open the bags in a desperate attempt to survive.
• Water treatment plants would sit idle, while raw sewage overflows into our waterways, adversely affecting fresh and salt water sources. 
• Water needs to be pumped into the water towers and treated, so we can forget about having any fresh water in our homes to drink, cook, or flush our toilet with. We'll be defecating in plastic bags or in a hole in our back yard. That will add to the amount of trash left on the streets. Imagine the odor and the spread of disease because of all this trash and fecal matter in the streets. 
• What about the millions of people who will die on the streets or in their home from lack of medication or from starvation or dehydration? What's to become of them? Will the starving and sick actually take the time and effort to dispose of the bodies that fall to the ground, or will they be too weak or sick, leaving the bodies where they are, increasing the spreading of pestilence? 

I could go on and on, but these things, and others, will lead to starvation, sickness, pestilence, violence, and death. It kind of makes the Four Horsemen mentioned in the book of Revelation seem a little more relevant now, doesn't it?

Lawlessness would be rampant, because policing wouldn't be possible, so those who have called for the defunding of the police will finally get their wish, as this country reverts to gang law. 

The starving, the sick, and the hopeless will beg for someone to help them, and the sovereignty of this country will be the last thing on their mind as they struggle to survive. That's where the Antichrist comes into the picture. This is how he's going to be able to usher in a one world government, economic system, and religion, because people will gladly give up their freedom just to survive and return to some sense of normalcy, but they don't realize that biblical prophecy states that they'll be living in the new norm, where they'll be experiencing the judgments of God. The life they complained about before the Rapture will seem like paradise to them as they suffer through the next 7 years, if they survive that long (biblical prophecy states that 2/3 of the population will die before the end of the Tribulation, so there's only a 1 out of 3 opportunity to survive until Jesus returns.)

A severe EMP attack would quickly knock our country out of "super power" status and turn us into a third world nation, drastically reducing our population. Part of our national government structure may survive (they're supposed to have EMP proof sites situated in different areas of the nation), but they would be leaders of a severely crippled country. 

Our enemies will have won, without even setting one foot on American soil. If they can decimate our nation's infrastructure, they can cause the death of millions of people within a few short weeks, without ever having to invade the country or fire a single gun shot. China and Russia don't need to attack the U.S. by conventional methods in order to defeat us. Three or four large EMP's strategically positioned and detonated, would do the trick. They may even lob a few more at us once the grid is down, just to be sure the entire nation was in total subjection to the coming New World Order. Since there was no nuclear explosion at ground level, that would greatly reduce the risk of major worldwide contamination from fallout. 

This is how the United States will probably be sidelined for the entire seven year Tribulation. Those political leaders, the wealthy and famous, and those who were promised positions of power during the NWO will be crawling in the dust, because they'll be part of a dying nation. If the attack on this nation isn't enough, they'll suffer during the Tribulation, when they'll lose everything that they thought set them apart from everyone else. They'll be humbled in ways they can't imagine. 

Everything going on in the world right now is in preparation for end-time events. The worldwide precursor to the Mark of the Beast has already had a trial run, where a large percentage of the population of the world fell under the influence of worldwide propaganda and censored information. Those who refused to submit to the NWO's authority were de-platformed and blocked from their social media accounts. Some lost their livelihood, were separated from loved ones, were ostracized by friends, family, and society, were prevented from traveling, were imprisoned, were attacked on the street, were given substandard medical treatment or prevented from receiving alternate medical treatment, and were labeled "fringe," "extreme," and "radical," as well as suffering other negative repercussions from resisting the NWO's push to force everyone to submit. 

Biblical prophecy is advancing right before our eyes. Although the "strong delusion" won't occur until the Tribulation, many are being conditioned to fall victim to this coming prophetic event. There are many who believe the propaganda that's being disseminated on television, radio, social media, print media, and even in our own seats of government. The lie has become the truth, and those who won't accept the lie are treated like enemies of society and of the state, by those who both perpetuate the lie and those who have been deceived into believing the lie. It was prophesied, and it's happening right now.

We keep trying to fight back, to take back some ground, but end-time prophecy won't be stopped. God will honor our efforts as long as they're in His perfect will, but those efforts will achieve only so much before we're taken out of the way and the full force of evil is allowed to be unleashed worldwide. 

When this happens, the United States will fall. It will be taken out of the picture. Just as Jesus will rescue His bride from what's to come, He will also bring judgment upon this nation, once His bride has been removed from it. I'm sure there are many theories out there as to why the United States isn't included in biblical prophecy just as there are a myriad of theories of how the United States is going to meet it's fate. 

As much as God has blessed this nation, we're rotting from within. The rich and powerful believe that they're untouchable, but God is no respecter of persons, and it doesn't matter how much money, power, or fame they have, they can't escape God's judgments. God has taken down kings and kingdoms before, and the United States is no different. They, and this country, are not exempt from God's wrath or judgments. 

If you comment on this blog article, please attempt to keep your comments brief and please limit your scriptural references to a minimum. 

REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN! BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

A Good Reason Why We're Still Waiting For The Rapture: Digital Currency

A YouTube acquaintance of mine stated several times in the past that the Rapture was imminent. I remember him posting a video on his YouTube channel telling his viewers that the Rapture was so imminent, that he'd be surprised if we were still here for the presidential election (we were only about 5 months out from the election at that time). We're talking about the 2020 election and the date of this article is Nov. 20, 2022, so a few years have passed since then. I tried to explain to him that his urgency was a bit premature, but he wasn't having any of it. Here is what I tried to explain to him. 

No matter how bad things seemed to be at that moment, it was nothing compared to what it was going to be like when the Rapture actually happens. A world system had to be created before there could be any move towards a one world government or a one world monetary system. It doesn't have to be completely cohesive, but the pieces need to be there for the Antichrist to pull them all together. The one world religion will be an easy thing to perpetrate once the majority of born again believers are gone (I'm saying that the majority will be gone, because there will be new born again believers populating the planet after the Rapture.)

The Antichrist won't have time to build these new systems in every country of the world. There are a lot of time consuming and complicated issues in dealing with the switch to a digital monetary system, and a lot of the initial work needs to be accomplished beforehand, so the ground work needs to be laid and the majority of the work needs to be completed BEFORE the Antichrist shows up on the scene. When that acquaintance of mine from YouTube was so adamant that the Rapture was going to most likely take place in 2020 (although he claimed he wasn't date setting...), I just couldn't agree with him. There was so much that needed to be done before the Rapture because the Antichrist immediately appears on the scene. Like many in power say, "Never let a good crisis go to waste." 

Now, how could the Antichrist make sure that no one would be able to buy or sell anything without his mark? It's not like those Rapture movies we grew up on. Sure, you won't be able to walk into a store and buy anything unless you have the mark, maybe, but I don't think people have considered the black market. There's a black market for everything in demand. So what's a demented despot to do?

Anyone left here who has the mark of the beast won't really care whether they make their money from those who have the mark and those who don't. Money talks. Evil will be infesting this planet, so making distinctions as to whether someone has the mark or not won't matter to many who are controlling the flow of goods, assuming they aren't offered a price for your head. For biblical prophecy to be realized, the Antichrist will need some other type of system in place to stop the legal and illegal purchase of goods, or his mark won't prevent illegal black market purchases. What could this new system be that would work in conjunction with his mark?

The answer is digital currency. He would need to be sure that physical cash was taken out of the hands of the populace and replaced with digital currency that could be tracked and controlled. On November 20, 2022 The Federal Reserve Bank of NY and a group of banks announced that they'll be perform a 12-week trial to test out a digital dollar. Yep, and it won't be built like Bitcoin. The Federal Reserve will be in charge of the whole shebang. As I said, the groundwork needs to be laid so the Antichrist can access and control established economic and governmental systems. The United States isn't the only country experimenting with digital currency, either. According to data from the Atlantic Council, an American think tank in the field of international affairs, as of this date and time, there are around 105 countries across the globe that are exploring digital currencies. Several countries have already converted to 100% digital currency. So, as you can see, we're well on our way to a one world economic system.

 
I told a co-worker a few months back, when all this digital currency talk was getting serious, that if the government ever switched over to digital currency, they'd be able to not only see where all of our money was going, but they'd also be able to lock us out of our bank accounts at a whim. She brushed it off as a conspiracy theory, saying that the government would never be allowed to do that. What can you say after getting that kind of response? I just shook my head and went on with my work.

Here's the thing. When you're using physical cash, no one knows what you're spending your money on, unless you're using it with a store courtesy card or something else that links you to the cash you're spending. So you go to the store, spend your cash, and no one's the wiser on what you purchased. With digital currency, all of your purchases will be recorded, which means that systems can be put in place to flag your account when you're using your digital currency for "unapproved" purchases. What do I mean by that?

Here are a few scenarios:

Example #1: Inflation is an issue, so they need people to spend money. What the government doesn't want you to do is save money. They want it pumped into the economy. How can they get you to spend the cash instead of saving it? They give it an expiration date. You can thank China for that idea. The digital currency is good for a specified period of time (3 months maybe?). If you don't use it, you lose it, and there won't be anything you can do about it. If you're not going to spend it, the government will take it and split it between the federal government and the state in which you reside. Simple as that. 

Example #2: Our benevolent government claims it knows what's best for us and decides that it's time to limit the amount of "unhealthy" foods that we're allowed to eat or to limit the services and products that we access. They'll claim it's for our own good. So, we'll be limited in the amount of animal protein and other "unhealthy" foods we're are allowed to purchase. When we reach our monthly limit of particular items, we won't be able to use our digital currency to purchase them. Our card will be declined. The cashier will be instructed to remove those items from the belt if you want to continue your purchase. President Biden wants everyone to convert to electric cars, stoves, etc... Can you imagine going out to buy a new gas stove or combustible engine car and be blocked from purchasing one because you're not authorized to use digital currency to purchase those items? 

Example #3: You want to purchase a firearm and some ammo? Survival gear? At the register, your digital currency is rejected and you immediately get a text from the Federal Reserve that you can't use your digital currency for that purchase because your social media score red flags you as a possible threat. They'll most likely block all further attempts to purchase these items until your social media account comes under review in 6-12 months. Maybe.

Example #4: You go to your local town or city hall and peacefully protest; you go before a school board to debate an issue; you meet at a church where the pastor talks about political and societal issues that the government deems "unacceptable"; you share what the government considers "misinformation." Depending on how serious they consider the "infraction," you could receive a text from the Federal Reserve informing you that your account has been frozen for a week or two. Just long enough to force you to submit to their totalitarian authority.

What I'm trying to say is that digital currency destroys anonymity. True story, I went to a big box store recently and purchased a couple of items using my debit card. A couple of days later, I received an email from that big box store asking me to review the items I purchased. Wait, I didn't purchase them online, so how did they know I purchased those items as a walk-in customer? They connected me to my debit card purchase. So we've already lost some of our anonymity by using something other than cash.

Once we go to an electronic form of payment and we lose the freedom of anonymous spending, they'll be able to track every transaction and use our bank accounts as leverage to force everyone into compliance. Ask yourself this... how many people were convinced to take the jab? 

• First it was optional. They waited to see how many people would just line up and take the jab. The same will be true of the conversion to digital currency. They'll wait to see how many voluntarily make the switch. 
• When they got a large part of the population jabbed, they resorted to bribing those who had still not taken the jab. College tuition, gift cards, a car, a jab lottery, free fries, etc... They'll most likely do the same with the switch to digital currency. "Convert to digital currency and get an additional $100 in your account! Convert to digital currency and automatically be entered into a $10,000 lottery!"
• Then, when the herd instinct and bribery wasn't enough, they tried shaming the unjabbed into submitting, by pitting the jabbed against the unjabbed, claiming the unjabbed were driving the variations that were killing grandma and that we were never going to get through the pandemic unless everyone got jabbed. The jabbed developed a sense of social superiority over the unjabbed, and many of them had no issues with sharing their distaste for anyone refusing the jab. It'll be the same for digital currency. "We're never going to get rid of this runaway inflation, this recession, unless everyone converts to digital currency! We're spending millions on printing money and creating coinage. It's a waste of money and it's killing us economically. Why can't you just follow everyone else who's fighting to get this economy fixed! If you don't want to convert to digital currency, then you've become part of the problem and that's unacceptable and fascist!" Those paying in cash at the register will feel the glares of those who have already made the switch just like the masked received the judgmental stares of those who walked around double masked.
• Then, when social shame wasn't enough, the threats started. People were told to get the jab, or they would lose their livelihood. It was a "choice," but what it really was, was intimidation... it was coercion. "Do what we say, or lose everything." Suddenly, "My body, my choice" was no longer relevant. The same will hold true for digital currency. We'll be given a "choice." "Convert to digital currency, or your bills don't get paid." If the jab compliance is any indication, the majority of the nation will have already switched over to digital currency by this time. The Federal Reserve will say, "Every cash business, including property owners, will be switched over to cashless payments as of such-and-such a date, so cash will no longer be accepted as payment after that date. Want to pay your rent? Make a car payment? Buy groceries? Buy fuel? Pay your utility bills? Go to any store? Pay for car repairs? Keep your cell phone on? If you want to spend any money, you'll need to convert your cash to digital currency, or you won't be able to buy or sell anything, because we will be a cashless society as of such-and-such a date."

It's the same steps the Antichrist and False Prophet will likely go through to get everyone to take the mark of the beast: First, wait while many take it willingly, then bribe the masses with gifts, then cause class warfare between those who have taken the mark and those who have not (putting social pressure on those who refuse the mark), then threaten the dissenters' livelihood and family structure, striking fear in the heart of those who continue to resist. All of this will culminate with the mark becoming mandatory. It's been prophesied that by the middle of the 7-year Tribulation, the Antichrist, being possessed by Satan, will set himself up as God in the Third Temple. This marks the beginning of the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation, known as the "Great Tribulation," and at this point, there's no more asking... the mark of the beast will be mandatory, and those who refuse to take his mark and worship his image will be killed by beheading. 

With the rise of digital currency and with over a hundred countries testing or planning to test a digital currency, we see this important piece falling into place. All G20 countries are in some phase of creating their own digital currency. Even if the government doesn't adopt digital currency right away, all it would take to move things along would be for retailers to switch over to a no-cash policy. It would be a dramatic change in our society. It's something that the Antichrist will use to his advantage. Whether or not countries choose to adopt this system, the Antichrist will make sure that it happens. They say that digital currency is years away, but with all the planning, testing, and implementation in the U.S and other countries worldwide (China already has digital currency), it wouldn't take much for the Antichrist to just convert every economy in the world to a shared digital currency. This is one sign that we're that much closer to the Rapture. 

UPDATE 18 SEP 2023: Citibank Customer To Get Digital Tokens For Their Deposits Under Citi Token Services

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

What If The Last Trump Isn't What We Think It Is?

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Let me begin by first quoting the portion of scripture that we'll be discussing:

1 Cor. 15:51-52 "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52in 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."

Many people are convinced that the last trump referred to here in 1 Corinthians is either referring to the last trump of Rosh Hashanah, or referring to the last trumpet judgment mentioned in the book of Revelation. We've all seen the blogs and vlogs, or sat in church services or bible studies where we were taught one theory or the other. Many Christians are convinced that it has to be one of the two. They're steadfast in their beliefs, and can offer up reasons why their adherence to that particular theory is logically correct, but I often question things, and after a while, I began to believe that neither one of these theories makes much sense to me, and here's why... 

In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

And again, in Mattnew 24:44, Jesus says, "Therefore, be ye also ready: for in such an hour that ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.

Again, in Matthew 25:13, Jesus says, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

So, if no man or angel, or even Jesus, knows when that will be, and if He says that He's coming in such an hour that we don't even expect Him, then how can we even suggest that it will be at the last trump of Rosh Hashanah of any given year, since that last trump of Rosh Hashanah can be predicted? Even if it's not this year, it can be predicted that it will happen next year. If not next year, then the next one. It will always be expected at the end of Rosh Hashanah, so we could say that it CAN be predicted in any given year if it were to be this particular "last trump." Christians get hung up on the Feast of Trumpets every year, anticipating that at the last trump of this High Holiday, they'll be raptured. How many people are disappointed year after year when it doesn't happen? How many young born again believers have had their walk with the Lord shaken because those who they deemed more mature than them assured them that this was the year of the greatest evacuation in the history of the planet (at the same time saying they're not date setting)?

I also question how we can be assured that it will happen at the end of the seven trumpet judgments that are spoken about in the book of Revelation. That can also be predicted, because the 7th trumpet judgment occurs mid-Tribulation. We may not know the hour, but if the tribulation lasts 7 years on the Luni-Solar calendar, also known as the Jewish calendar, we can calculate where the mid-point is in the Tribulation (1260 days), so knowing this date would give us the knowledge that Jesus said none of us would have. So, if both of those trumpet blasts can be more-or-less predicted, how is it possible that Jesus would say that we wouldn't know the day... that He would return unexpectedly???

I have a different theory that I'd like throw into the mix. What if God isn't referring to either one of those trumpet blasts? Think about that. What if there was a trumpet blast that we weren't even considering... that didn't even come to mind... because it's an Old Testament reference which can't be calculated, simply because we were never told that it would ever be used again? That would mean that it would be a totally unpredictable event, so even though we know we're in the season, we'd be taken by surprise when it actually happened, because there would be absolutely no way to predict the day or time of this other trumpet blast. So, if the last trump doesn't relate to Rosh Hashanah, or the seventh trumpet judgment, then what am I referring to?

There is a portion of scripture in Exodus that mentions another heavenly trumpet that was blown. The similarities between that event and the coming Rapture is compelling. Is it possible that the "last trump" spoken of in 1 Corinthians could be the same trumpet that was blown in Exodus 19:16-18? 

"So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the hole mountain quaked violently."

Now, the trumpet in this portion of scripture wasn't just any trumpet. It was actually a special ram's horn that was blown from heaven. If we go back a few verses to Exodus 19:13b, it says, "...When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain."

This happened just after God's people were delivered from the hand of the Pharaoh and the bonds of Egypt. Just as they were delivered from the bond of Egypt, will we be delivered from the bonds of this world... of the flesh... at the next blast of the ram's horn from heaven?

Could the trumpet that heralded the arrival of God in a cloud at the top of the mountain, be the same one that will herald the arrival of Jesus in the clouds as well? Could this be the heralding trumpet that's going to be blown one last time when God calls us up out of the camp to meet Him? 

Scripture states: "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" (1Thess. 4:16) It says with THE trump of God, not a trump of God. It's a very specific trumpet blast. The only "trump of God" I know of was blown at Mount Sinai.

It's a point of view that I've never heard before, but it's highly likely I'm not the only one who's mentioned this point of view. Could this be why the bride of Christ is going to be unaware as to the actual time of the Rapture? We know the season, but how could we possibly know the day or the hour? This point of view makes the Rapture totally unpredictable, just as Jesus said it would be.

I think this is an interesting take on the subject, and one that I hope will generate some conversation in the comment section below. As I've said, we've been taught to believe in one theory or another concerning the "last trump," but if Jesus says it's not possible for us to know the day or hour, then why put much thought into it? Just know that it will happen, and that we need to be like the wise virgins who kept their lamps full. If we do that, then we won't need to be concerned about when the Lord will return, because we'll always be at the ready.

Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

TribulationHarvest.net

The Nephilim And End Time Biblical Prophecy

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Adding to the word of God is a very serious thing. I briefly hit upon this subject in one of my previous posts: The Spirit Of Python Is A Spirit Of Divination And Nothing More.  In that article, I shed light on all the false teachings out there concerning the spirit of python, and how a spiritual truth was being distorted and taught as biblical truth. The same thing seems to have happened with this idea that Nephilim will appear again during the end times. This false teaching has been around for quite some time. Here is the scripture that everyone seems to cling to when claiming that there will be Nephilim during the end times:

26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:26-27)

God has said that in the days of the Son of man, life will be as it was in the days of Noah. Well, what does that mean exactly? God answers that question in the very next verse: "They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage..." Everything was going on as usual, "...until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." So God explains what He meant when He said that the end times will be just as it was in the time of Noah.

Q: Well wait, where do the Nephilim come into the picture? 

A: They don't. God doesn't mention them, but that doesn't stop false teachers from cutting and pasting the Nephilim in to this end time prophecy.

Let's read the next few verses in that same chapter where God immediately gives us another example:

28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they bulided; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (Luke 17:28-29)

So, in Lot's time, they were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, living their lives as they usually did on a daily basis. There was no warning judgment was coming just as there was no warning in the time of Noah. 

Do you see any Nephilim mentioned? No, you don't. Read Luke chapter 17 yourself. Any mention of Nephilim in that entire chapter? Again, no. Why? The reason they're not mentioned is because they're not part of end time prophecy. The Nephilim aren't even on God's radar in Luke chapter 17. On the contrary, God is giving us a picture of what it will be like when Jesus returns. Everyone will be living life as usual. Eating, drinking, marrying, working, going to the store, etc... God isn't warning us about Nephilim, He's telling us that Jesus' return will be totally unexpected and that judgment will come upon the world at a time when no one expects it.

Although there are many born again believers online who would have you believe that the Nephilim are part of this prophecy, it's just can't be supported by scripture. Ask yourself this question: If this teaching about Nephilim appearing during the end times is not supported by scripture, then what kind of teaching is this? Answer: It's a false teaching.

Let's look at it from the perspective of those who hold true to this false teaching. They will say, "Well, it doesn't necessarily mention the Nephilim, but they were alive at that time, so when God says that it will be the same during the end times as it was during Noah's or Lot's time, then logically it must also mean that the Nephilim will be around. God says, 'As it was in the days of Noah...'" WARNING!!! That's when they will begin using flawed human intellect to lead you down a rabbit hole and away from biblical truth to convince you to believe in something that isn't biblically sound and cannot be found in scripture. They'll explain to you that other things were happening at the time of Noah as well, so they must be included in this prophecy. If you listen carefully to what they have to say, you'll find that their logic is based on pure conjecture, and that their claim is in no way based on scripture.

Using their flawed logic, dinosaurs would also appear during the end times because dinosaurs were alive before the flood. If we're going to cut and paste Nephilim to the picture, then we have to do that with everything else, including dinosaurs, because God said, "As it was in the days of Noah..." 

Do you see where I'm going with this? Just as dinosaurs aren't going to return, neither will the Nephilim, because IT'S NOT SCRIPTURAL! What's one of the basic rules of bible study? You must interpret scripture in context. I had a friend who used to misquote scripture all the time, taking things totally out of context and using it haphazardly, like a child clumsily wielding a toy sword. It was not only annoying, but she truly believed that what she was saying was biblically sound. 

Misquoting scripture, or adding to scripture, shows a lack of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God and of His word. I guarantee you that many people who believe in the return of the Nephilim will take great exception to this article, but that's because they don't have scriptural truth to back up their claims of returning Nephilim, and they can't defend themselves with solid scripture references, so they'll angrily defend their indefensible position.

That's really all the time I'm willing to give to this false teaching. It's pretty straight forward. I urge you to stay away from any teaching that can't be supported by scripture and I warn you  not to let false teachers lead you down a rabbit hole of flawed human intellect disguised as spiritual teaching. 

God bless and please feel free to leave a comment down below. All comments are held for review before posting, so if your comment doesn't immediately appear, don't fret. 

If I don't see you here (on earth), then I'll see you on the other side!!! God bless!!!

REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

How Many People Will Disappear At The Time Of The Rapture?

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VIDEO: HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL DISAPPEAR AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE???

I've seen videos and read articles and comments about how "millions of people" or "tens of millions of people" will disappear at the time of the Rapture. I always knew that number couldn't be correct. The number of those who will be raptured will be much, much more significant than just a few million people. 

What many people don't take into account is the fact that all of the children on the planet will disappear at the moment of the Rapture. Those children, who are too young to understand what sin is and their need to repent of that sin, will be rescued from what's to come. They'll disappear from their cribs and playpens, from backyards and sleepovers, from schools and field trips, from vacation destinations like Disneyland, from beaches and parks, from cars and buses, from movie theaters and restaurants, from dinner tables, and even from their own parent's arms... they'll all just disappear!

How many children make up this demographic who will be raptured? Well, we need to do a little calculating to figure that out. It's a little tricky, because there are many variables.

As of September 2019, there are approximately *7.7 billion people on the planet. As of 2018, *approximately 25% (I rounded down) are between the ages of 0-15. So, we're talking about a demographic of 1,925,000,000 children. That's just shy of 2 billion.

Let's assume, for argument sake, that children under the age of 13 have not reached the maturity to truly understand what sin is and the consequences of an unrepentant heart (some people refer to this as the age of accountability). I am using this figure because in Jewish tradition, a child becomes an adult at the age of 13, so those who are younger than 13 years old will be considered for this purpose. Yes, I know it varies because children mature at different rates, but we need some sort of baseline for the calculations, so those are the figures I'm using right now. I also understand that we're not including the mentally disabled, who may not be able to comprehend what sin is. There are a lot of variables, and that's why I needed to set some sort of baseline. 

So the ages we're looking at are 0-12. Note: I am considering those under 1 year of age as it's own age group, that's why I am calculating the ages of 0-12 and not 1-12. This is important in the calculations below because it seems like I'm using a higher number of age groups, but it's increased by one because I'm counting those of 0-11 months old as their own age group (0-15 is 16 age groups, 0-12 is 13 age groups, and 0-10 is 11 age groups)

Assuming, for statistical reasons, the total number of children is equal for each age, that would mean that each year represents approximately 120,312,200 individuals (between the ages of 0-15). 

Calculation: Divide 1,925,000,000 children worldwide by 16 age groups and that equals 120,312,200 per age group. But we're trying to find out how many children are between the ages of 0-12, so let's perform another calculation.

Calculation: 120,312,200 per age group X 13 age groups = 1,564,058,600 children worldwide. That's just over 1.5 billion!!!

Let's reduce the age to 10 years old in order to satisfy some of you who may say that 12 years old is too old.

Calculation: 120,312,200 per age group X 11 age groups = 1,323,434,200 children worldwide. That's just over 1.3 billion children!

Just by calculating the children alone, approximately 1.3 billion to 1.5 billion will disappear at the moment of the Rapture. That's way more than the "tens of millions" or even "hundreds of millions" that most people refer to when speaking about the number of people who will take part in the Rapture.

So as you can see, just counting the children alone, we already have over a billion people who will disappear at the moment of the Rapture. Add to that all other born again believers above those calculated ages, and we're talking about 2 billion people or more in total. There are many professing "Christians" out there, but there's no way of knowing how many "true" born again believers there are, so that makes the projected number of raptured adults difficult, if not impossible, to calculate. 

Can you imagine a world where almost every child under 13 (or 10 and under, if you want to use that calculation) suddenly disappears? Even those in the womb! How devastating will that be for the unsaved parents who remain behind?!? The entire world will be in turmoil! 

If you think these devastated parents will be heading off to work, or even remaining at work (depending on what time it happens in different parts of the world) after this event, you're not being realistic. Just think what that means. Think about this on a worldwide scale! CLICK HERE if you want to know more about what will happen after the Rapture!

And what will happen immediately after that? The Antichrist will be right there to ride in on a white horse to save the day (Revelation 6:1-2). CLICK HERE to read more about the rider on the white horse.

If you think that the violent groups we see attacking innocent people on the streets and destroying personal property without any remorse for their victims or respect for law enforcement is horrific, if you think that the comments people post online or spew on television are filled with unbridled and venomous hate, and if you think politics is corrupt to it's core with back room deals, payoffs, and collusion with foreign powers, then just wait until that moment when the Holy Spirit and God's people are taken out of the way. "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." (2 Thess 2:7) God has been holding back the full force of evil in the world, and when the Rapture occurs, that dam is going to break, and those horrific things you've seen, heard, read about, and experienced will be multiplied and become normalized. Those who hate God and who hate born again believers think they're going to rejoice when every true born again believer is gone, but they're in for a rude awakening.

Remember, the United States isn't mentioned in biblical prophecy, so there's no knowing what shape the US will be in at this time in biblical history. Our military forces are not mentioned in biblical prophecy, so that's something to think about. In this country, at this moment, there is a huge population that calls good, evil...and evil, good. When every born again believer is taken out of the way, what will this country look like? New born again believers will be hunted down and executed if they refuse to take the Mark of the Beast on their right hand or forehead and if they refuse to worship the Beast. Think this can't happen? Look at what's happening in the streets, as mobs attack the defenseless and elderly, the unarmed and the bystanders. They attack with fists, bats, chains, and other makeshift weapons. They wear masks, incite mobs to violence, and justify their violent behavior by calling evil, good. In many instances, law enforcement is ordered to stand down and allow the violence and destruction. Yes, this is a real thing. If it's happening now, while the full force of evil is still being held back, can you imagine what it will be like when the dam breaks as billions of people disappear in the blink of an eye?

There are a lot of links for you to access on this web site. Just go to the tabs at the top of the page and check them out. There's a lot of information there. Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below. God bless!!!

*These are the latest figures that I could find for this article.

Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

TribulationHarvest.net