The end of the world as we know it- and I feel fine…

We were talking about the death of Dick Clark yesterday when my son said, “Those damn Mayans! Dick Clark won’t be here to bring in another year…”  And I kinda laughed at that, though it does make a warped kinda sense that Dick Clark would live on until all the New Years had been brought in.  Does that mean I’m a “believer” now?  I’d like to be, because that would mean in less than a year, I’ll be with my Father in Heaven.  But no, I don’t because too many signs have to happen first.  One that got brought up in Dr. Jeremiah’s sermon today is one I hadn’t looked at before, and I’m going to need a little groundwork to get there.

Those of us who are Christians, or have been exposed to Christianity to one extent or another, know most of the “glaring signs”.  The rapture- the believers being taken from the Earth- is the most famous, but I have a feeling its not going to be particularly glaring, due to A) how many people will be left to be raptured, and B) the swift invention of excuses to explain it.  Luke 17 talks about how just like before the flood, life will go on “as normal”, until the other shoe drops.  And this probably won’t even get rid of the “established Church” since John tells us in Revelation 17 that there will still be a “Church” – the great harlot- who even that, the Anti-Christ will want to destroy.  And if it’s a false Church, why would the AC want to do away with it?  Because he is the ultimate atheist, wanting to destroy every conception of God- at first.

Trying not to hop off my track, let’s go on to look at the politics of the AC.  He will be a descendant of the Roman empire, or a Jew, or both, according to Daniel 9.  He will preside over a ten nation coalition, at least three of which will be unwilling members, according to Revelation 13.  And he will, again by Daniel 9 as well as other prophecies, somehow convince Israel to trust in his protection and let down their defenses.  Then comes the next “glaring” sign, the Temple has to be rebuilt.

This is one I’ve often heard will be the great sign.  Because there has to be a Temple for the “abomination of desolation” to occur.  True enough, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that the AC will build or even authorize it- only that it will be there at the point when he blows away all his “logical” atheist supporters by declaring himself God. 

I have a greater sign than this for you- I believe the US of A will no longer be here when the AC is revealed.

I believe that the destruction of “Tyre” in Ezekiel 27 and the fall of “Babylon the Great” in Revelation 18 describe the self same event- the same event as Ezekiel 38-39 as God sending fire “to those who live in safety in the coastlands”.  The US of A, the great trading partner of the world, purveyor of every evil through Hollywood, will be destroyed “in just one hour”.  I had always before today, thought that this event would happen during the tribulation- the seven year clock of Daniel 9 that starts when the Israelis make their Covenant with the AC for “peace and safety”.  But something Dr. Jeremiah said changed my mind- something so logical, it made the whole thing have a sense to it.

He pointed out that the only way that Israel would agree to this, and become “ a land of unwalled villages, having neither bars nor gates”, would be if they had no other choice- AND NO OTHER FRIEND IN THE WORLD than the Anti-Christ.  And who is that one other friend that Israel had, up until this point?  The US of A, which lies smouldering, destroyed in just one hour.

All the rest- the destruction of the “great harlot” religion (which I think is nothing more than those who go on practicing “christianity” with no idea what it means), the abomination of desolation, the covenant with Israel, and the AC’s “resurrection” and being declared God- no of this can happen until the United States falls once and for all.

I don’t profess to know God’s chronology exactly. But this morning, at least this one piece fell into place for me.  The United States becomes a key block of prophecy- by no longer being a factor.

Dick Clark was easy. Let’s see if the Mayans pull that off before the year’s out.