L'orpailleur de la Parole

jeudi 28 septembre 2017

Transcription of Jacob Prasch's sermon untitled:" The warnings of the Olivet discourse".

Transcription of Jacob Prasch’s sermon untitled:”The warnings of the Olivet discourse”
Something like 3 months ago, I had on my heart to transcribe this Jacob Prasch’s sermon which exists only under the form of a video (on internet) 53 minutes and 34 seconds long. It took me a long time, but here it is. I appreciate very much this sermon and I hope you will also. Everything which is written in red between parentheses is notes that I have added myself to help the understanding, hopefully. These notes are not from Jacob Prasch. Probably, it will be translated in French. Have a good reading!

Turn with me please to Matthew chapter 24. We are looking at the caveats, the warnings of the Olivet’s discourse. These events were partially fulfilled in 70 A.D. and the events in 70 A.D. that Jesus is beginning to be speaking about, that we can read about, are historically recorded by Josephus Flavius and Eusebius, and are partial fulfilment of what will happen in the last days, when the believers of Simeon (of Clopas), the cousin of Jesus, who replaced James as the pastor in Jerusalem, when James was martyred, let the believers out, in obedience of the warning of Jesus in Luke 21:24. That was the first type of the rapture in the New Testament; there were many types in the Old Testament; that was the first type in the New Testament of the rapture. We have separate tapes dealing with this, we have a tape “understanding the rapture”, and we have “the future history of the church”; we will leave the book table open, after the meeting, for as long as we reasonably can. We have to pack up, but if you want these tapes, we will make sure that reasonable time is given. I’m not trying to make a sale, but I’m simply saying these things are too involved to withdraw it now. They are a whole subject in themselves.

The Olivet discourse, Jesus’s warning to the Church, his disciples, before he left. Notice he is going to be crucified, and he knows. This is just before his crucifixion. When you are going to be crucified, you don’t speak about Monday, or non-essential things, you only speak about what’s most important, to the people who are most important to you. You don’t talk about the pop shops or the rugby’s scores, you talk about what is most important, and you spend the time not just with anyone but with the people who are most important to you. Jesus spends his time with the apostles and what does he speak to them about? The Last Days! That’s it! What immediately follows the Olivet discourse in Matthew 26? The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. But it’s preceded by Matthews 23. What happens? Jesus castigates the Pharisees, the religious hypocrites of these days. He calls them a generation of serpents, a generation of snakes. So are the executives of some of the mainstream denominations of today, a generation of snakes, by the same standard. Not what I say, it’s what the Bible says. But let’s look!

Coming down from the Mount of Olives, He comes out from the temple, was going away when his disciples came pointing out the buildings. And he said: “Do you not see all these things?” He said “truly, I say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.”  The Wailing Wall was not originally part of the Temple; it was part of the retaining wall. The Temple was demolished and the whole thing was later levelled by the emperor Adrian in the second century right down to the bedrock virtually. Now of course the stones of the Temple, we’re told again from first Peter 2:5, it’s a figure of Christians, it’s a type of what will happen to the church, at the end, that will face the persecution. Brother Andrew from Open Doors was one of the people who realized this, but others have as well. And He was sitting on the Mount of Olives. This is opposite to Temple Mount. If you come with us in Israel in October we will bring you here, and do this Bible study in depth. The disciples came to him privately saying:” Tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming at the end of the age.” And He answered and said to them:” See to it that no one misleads you”. The first word out of Jesus’s mouth: “deception”. “Don’t you be deceived”. He is speaking here to his disciples, the Christians, the believers. “See to it that no one deceives you”, first word out of his mouth. Does he talks about a great end-times revival, about “Kingdom Now”? Does he talks about anything other? First word: “look out! Deception is coming”. The first thing he’s saying. As the Olivet discourse continues, Jesus warns about an increase in wars, one time; he warns about an increase in rumors of wars, one time; he warns about famines increasing, one time; he warns about earthquakes, seismic activity increasing, one time; he warns about pestilence, one time; Yes there’s been more people killed in wars in the last century than the whole history. In fact more killed in the last 50 years (___). Yes seismologists tell us that the increase in earthquake activity is unprecedented; yes! Despite advances in agricultural technology more people are starving to death than ever before. Absolutely! He warns of those things one time, wars, rumours of wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilence, one time, one time, one time. He warns of deception perpetuated against the elect, four times. Jesus warns about deception against Christians four times more than he warns about anything else as a sign of the end, four times more. Only in Luke’s version does he speak of the Jews returning to Jerusalem, that’s only one time. If you would ask, me fifteen years ago, if you would ask me when I was first saved in the early nineteen seventies why I would believe it was the last days, I would have given you the usual of Barry Smith and Al Lindsay. Do I think these events in the Middle East fulfill prophecy? Of course they do! Do I think the globalisation of the world economy fulfills prophecy? Of course it does! Do I think that the oecumenical movement is a fulfillment of prophecy? Absolutely! It’s a road to Babylon. Do I think the destruction of the environment, is what the Revelation said? Let us destroy those who are destroying the earth. Yes I do. But that’s not the clearest signs of the end; those are not the clearest signs. That’s what I would have said fifteen, twenty years ago. Today, if you ask me the clearest sign: the deception in the Bible believing Church. The deception among evangelical born again Christians is the clearest sign of the last days. Israel is mentioned one time, wars once, rumours of wars once, famines once, and earthquakes once, pestilence once,Y2K zero; not at all. But deception against Christians, four times. “If possible, the elect will be deceived”. Some of the lying theocrats, the ones with the Toronto, pastors I’m talking about, said, “Well if it was possible for the elect to be deceived? But it is impossible”. Why would Jesus warn about something four times more than he did anything else if it couldn’t happen. Was Jesus stupid? No he wasn’t. If somebody was stupid, it certainly wasn’t him. He wouldn’t warn about something four times as much than anything else if it couldn’t happen. Well it is happening! His first caveat: “Many will come in my name saying: I am the Christ, and mislead many.” Many false Christs will come, openly one saying “I am the Christ”. “Ha Mashiach”, in Hebrew. “O Christos”, that is the antichrist ultimately. But there will be many antichrists. The only thing in the Greek language that an antichrist is, the only thing in the Hebrew language analogically than an antichrist is, the only thing they are, is someone with a false anointing, ear what I said?, in place of a true anointing. “Antichristos”. The only thing that an antichrist is, is somebody with a false anointing. We dealt with this on the “Judge not” tapes. The liars today say:” Touch not my anointed”, a verse that appears in Chronicles, Psalms and Samuel, each case that refers to David’s encounter in the cave of Engedi with Saul. No David would not touch Saul because Saul was God’s anointed, I don’t believe Benny Hinn is, but Saul was. Maybe he wouldn’t touch him, but that not stopped David from telling the truth about Saul, that he was a backslider and a murderer. It did not stop the prophet Samuel from writing the truth about Saul. That he was a demonized traitor, to the cause of the Lord. “Touch not my anointed” has nothing whatsoever to do with what these lying deceivers are telling you. The prophets named the names of the leaders who mislead the people, so did the Gospels, so did the Apostles. As soon as you ear: “Touch not my anointed”, you are earing: “I am a moron”. It is all there is. They may not be congenitally stupid. It is a sin to call people “fools” if they are born congenitally stupid. But Jesus said you are in danger of hell fire if you say that. These are not people who are congenitally stupid. But I wouldn’t make fun of those people (who are congenitally stupid). These are people who are willfully stupid. Do you understand? The Hebrew term is “evîyl” (Strong’s Concordance number 191) what’s Jeremiah said, literally that they pervert their intellect, or that they pervert their logic to justify what they know was wrong. People with false anointings. Jesus was anointed for burial before he was anointed for dominion. The proof of anointing is not a Mercedes limousine, a big ring or an expensive suit or a Benny Hinn haircut, it’s a crucified life. The first thing he warns about is people with false anointings. If you cannot see through a little antichrist like Benny Hinn or Richard Roberts or Rodney Howard Brown, what is going to happen when the real deception comes, what’s going to happen when these two guys show up?
Verses 6 to 8 in Matthew 24: “You will be hearing of wars and rumours of wars. See you are not frightened, for those things must take place. But the end is not yet. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are the beginning of birth pangs”, the beginning. The two phenomena, what the two things that the Bible uses the most to illustrate what the last days will be like, come from the sciences of seismology and obstetrics respectively. Tectonic plate theory, the geologists tell us, the plates begin to shift. When the plates begin to shift, that tells you, they are tremors, that tells you a big shift we call an earthquake is going to come, but they don’t know when. They spend a lot of money in Japan and America and New Zealand trying to predict these things, to find patterns, but they can’t. They just know it is going to come. The (patterns may get) tremors may get more frequent before the big one comes, but you can’t pinpoint when the major earthquake is going to come. But the last days are like that. If you go to Japan or if you have been in California when there is an earthquake, I was in one in the Middle-East, things shake and people say:” Is this the main one, is this the big one? Oh no, it’s just a tremor”. Things go back to normal. But they still know that the big one is coming. There’s a false sense that it is going to be all right when things shake for a minute or so, then it stops and nothing happens. It is only 5 on the Richter scale or whatever. Birth pangs are the same way, contractions begin, labor pains are not continuous, the contractions begin and it goes on and on, and then it stops for a while, and a false sensation can be created that that’s it, but then they come back with even more ferocity until ultimately the baby is born. That’s why the Bible uses the language in Jeremiah and Revelation of the man-child, the baby been born; you also have an allusion to the language of obstetrics in Romans 8, the creation groans out, using that bird pang type metaphor. (It) becomes more and more common until it happens. There will be a false sense of things that are getting better for “intern periods” and then it will get back worse. Jesus, the second thing he warns about here:” but the end is not yet”, rambunctious (Boisterous, rowdy, obstreperous, wild, turbulent, unruly, disorderly)! Every times there is another earthquake in Guatemala, oh Jesus will be here a week from Tuesday. Every times there’s a market crash or something like it, oh! He’s coming. Now! You have remote signs and immediate signs. The final signs have to do with the identity of the antichrist and the sign of the Son of man appearing in the heavens. But before that time there are remote signs just like birth pangs or earth tremors before an earthquake. Understand what the last days are like. Personally, I explain it in terms of physics. You know what a vector is in physics? You go from the alpha to the omega. First going kilometers per second and then you begin increasing the energy of activation and the velocity of the vector increases exponentially accordingly, kilometers per second; kilometers per second per second; kilometers per second per second; kilometers per second, per second, per second. In other words, the faster, the closer you get to the target, the faster you approach it. Do you understand? His second coming is like his first. There are hundreds and hundreds of messianic prophecies in the Old Testament about the first coming of Jesus, hundreds, probably more than one thousand. Most of those were fulfilled in a thirty-five to thirty-eight years period. Most of those were fulfilled in a tree and a half year period. Most of those were fulfilled in a five days period. The closer you’ve got to his coming, the faster the prophecies were fulfilled. When he comes back, it is the same, very rapid fulfillment of prophecy. To understand this, we go to the book of Daniel, for instance. The book of Daniel teaches an awful long about of what will happen in the world at the end. Daniel saw the rise and rapid rise and fall of world empires. First the Assyrian empire took Judah, (eh!) Israel. Then Babylon came out of nowhere and took Assyria. And then out of nowhere the Media- Persians took Babylon. Then Alexander the Great, the Greeks came; the Macedonians have got rid of them (thePersians) really quick. And then Rome came, and the Jews where in the middle of all this; very rapid political changes.

Some of you are palms (???). If you told your parents the sun would set on the British Empire, they would say what my grand- parents said: it never sets on the British Empire. Now it sets every twenty four hours. The collapse of the British Empire was unbelievable. I grew up in the cold war era; I remember Vietnam and the Cuban crisis.  If you told someone of my generation that the Berlin wall would come down and the Iron Curtain would collapse practically overnight, it would have seemed unbelievable. But it happened! My wife’s parents were in the Holocaust, they came out of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. If you told them that the Jews would be back in their own ancient land as the Scripture promised, a few years later, they were coming out of the concentration camps with nothing but a rag on their back, they would have said it was crazy.  But it happened! Very rapid political changes happened in the last days like it did in Daniel. There are more things to happen before Jesus comes but they can happen very, very quickly. Watch out for rambunction, for people who are looking for him to come any day, any moment. Pay attention, Jesus can come for me tonight or for you tonight. Of course we should live our lives as he can come, because he can come for anyone of us. That doesn’t change imminency. But he (The Lord Jesus) can’t come for the Church until the Church can identify the Antichrist. “But he who has wisdom count the number of the beast”. The world has no wisdom. The day will not come until the man of lawlessness will be revealed. Now there are many antichrists, to identify him, it’s not going to be that simple. Once more, (if)people can’t see through a Benny Hinn or a Rodney Brown or a Phil Pringle, what is it going to happen when the real thing come? Watch out for rambunction.   Yes, there will be increase in famines, increase in wars; there will be fear and anxiety among the nations, none of them knowing the way out. That’s true. And that shows he’s coming, the same as maternal contractions show the baby is coming or the same as tremors show the earthquake is coming. It tells you now: coming closer, but not just now. Understand, remote signs compared to imminent ones. You have the same with maternal labor; you have an imminent sign when waters break, so that tells you: Boy! You better should be to the hospital by now.  I tell you. You have remote signs and you have imminent signs. Well! Eschatologically, it’s the same as what you have in seismology or obstetrics. Those are the two things the Bible uses to illustrate the last days, the most.

Let’s continue. At the rambunction he warns about this, verse nine. Now I point out some of my closest friends, people who I respect, value or even come minister with, including Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Dave Hunt. Both of them I endorse their ministry. They would disagree with me. Some of my closest friends disagree with me. But I’m convinced on this point, as much as I esteem them, they are wrong. I hope I’m wrong, I hope they are proved right. But I’m convinced that I am not wrong. I wish I were. Let’s look! Verse nine:” Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you and you’ll be hated by all nations on the account of my name.” There is a difference between the wrath of Satan and the wrath of God. True believers will not experience the wrath of God, but they have always experienced the wrath of Satan. This idea that because we are in Australia or America or Canada, that we don’t have to suffer, that we will be going to be raptured out of here. Most Christians in most places have suffered and are suffering as we speak. This century and this generation have seen the murder of more Christians than the ancient world. Be careful of this and again I say this only to have a go at the doctrine, not at some of my closest brethren and friends who believe it. Maybe this church believes it, I don’t know. I’m just telling you what I believe what I’m quite sure is the truth. The third thing Jesus warns about. This subject is more involved than I’m going into. We have “Understanding the rapture” tapes, we explain it. But he warns this. (He) warns about pre-tribulationism. It says in Revelation: “These are those who have come out of the Great Tribulation”. Everything in the Bible that prefigures the rapture shows God’s people entering into the tribulation and been taken out: the rescue from Sodom and Gomorrah, the Exodus of the Jews, the rescue in seventy A.D., the rescue of Rahab’s family; we have all this on the “Types of the rapture” tapes. Everything that prefigures it, teaches that God’s people been taken out of it. That’s exactly what the Bible literally says also, more importantly, the type illustrates: “But they will deliver you to tribulation” “Peirasmos” ah, say it again in Greek. “Thlipsis” is one, but you have “Peirasmos” as the other. It goes on like this: “These are those who have come out of it” He warns about pre-tribulationism. Look at Second Thessalonians please. People have tried to explain or talk around this text. The straightforward meaning is the right one. In the epistles that, invariably, always, if almost always, if not absolutely always, is. What does Paul say, speaking specifically about the last days? He says this in chapter two: “Now we regard you brethren with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus-Christ and our gathering together to him (episunagogue) that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us to the effect that the day has come. Let no one in any way deceive you. It will not come, unless the apostasy, that is the falling away, comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” Forget the Calvinistic error “once saved, always saved”. Do I believe in “Once saved, always saved”? Yes! But it is not unconditional. Free will was restored at the cross. Unsaved people don’t have a free will, Christians do. We don’t have to sin. Our free will was restored at the cross. Calvinism denies this. You are eternally secured in Christ if you use your free will to remain in him. Those who fall away: How can you apostasies from something you were never in? How can you fall away from something you never held? We are in the time of preludes. I’m not speaking of dates here, I’m speaking of seasons. Jesus spoke of the times and seasons. The current events in the Middle East even happening this week are a prelude to what will happen in Zachariah 12. Jerusalem will be the stumbling block for the nations. Not the West Bank, not Gaza, not the Golan Heights, it will be Jerusalem, the final status. That’s what you are seeing going on now. The Jews will recognize him. This is a prelude to Zachariah 12. So to what you see happening in the EEC, the reconfederation of the countries in the Roman Empire into a non-democratic Europe, the pseudo-democratic Europe that will be non-democratic. It is a prelude to the resurrection of the fourth beast of Daniel. It is a prelude. What you see happening with electronic money, is a prelude. What you see happening with Toronto, Pensacola, Alpha, the oecumenical movement, it is a prelude to the apostesia, the falling away and of course the rise of Babylon. It is a prelude. It will not happen until the falling away comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, notice lawlessness. I’m convinced that the rapture happens; it’s together at the same time as the resurrection. It is the same event. And it happens between the sixth and seventh seal in the book of Revelation. There it is. There’s a difference between the wrath of Satan and the wrath of God. The faithful must be able to identify these two beasts at the end. Now we have tapes on the Antichrist, it’s a very complicated subject in itself. Be careful of pre-tribulationism.
Now let’s look at verse 10 in Matthew 24:”At that time many will fall away and deliver up one another and hate one another.” Again, you can’t fall away if you don’t believe. They will hate one another. Apostesia, same as Paul’s falling away, false brethren they become. And they hate one another. Let me tell you who is going to fall away and betray you tomorrow, let me tell you what Christians are going to fall away and betray you and your children tomorrow. I’ll tell you who will fall away and betray you and your children tomorrow. The people listening to Brian Houston, Phil Pringle, Marc Connor and their imports from Pensacola, Toronto. People that will“ sink their hand” (I am really unable to ear clearly what was said here) into Copeland and Hagen and Marilyn Hickey today; they are the ones who will betray you tomorrow. I absolutely guaranty it, because they are hoping in the world. That’s what their theology tells them to do. Whenever the Bible speaks of Antichrist, John’s epistle, “Love not the world”. People will take the mark of the beast. They’ve already taken it in the attitude of their hearth because they love the world. Kingdom Now theology gets you to love the world, Faith Prosperity theology gets you to love the world. He warns about the falling away and we know who will be. But now he says this: “because of lawlessness is increased, most men’s love will grow cold”. This relates to the message to the church of Ephesus. It is the dilemma that we all face. New Christians, newly saved people are very enthusiastic. They have no experience, no knowledge, etcetera as we pointed out in one of our earlier sessions. But they have their first love. When you and I were first saved, look how important our prayer times were, our Scripture reading times were, days of fast would look all important and witnessing was. We did it almost incessantly. You are saved ten years, it begins to taper off, that’s a sign of losing our first love. The Ephesians were a good church; they couldn’t stand the false apostles. They held the faith. They had a lot of truth and understanding of the Bible, but they left their first love that puts you on the road, and they lost their understanding, the lamp was taken from the lampstand. We have this on the “Seven churches” tape. But it is because of lawlessness. Pay attention: Greek word for law: “nomos”, “nomos”; the Greek word for an outlaw; “anomos”. 

Turn with me, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 21: “To those who are without law (anomos) as without law, though not being without the law of God, but under the law of Christ.” When somebody is born again, they come out from under the Law of Moses which teaches about our fallen nature, demonstrated to the example of Israel. And they come under the law of Christ. If you drive into states, if you drive up to New South Wales, some of the laws that Victoria and New South Wales have will be the same. There will be certain laws in common. But there would be other laws that would only apply in New South Wales or in Victoria. The moment you cross the state lines, the borders, as you call it, you’ve left the jurisdiction of one law and come under the jurisdiction of another. But you can’t say, the minute you drive out of state, you are no longer under the law. You break the speed limit, even though the speed limit may be different. When somebody is born again, they leave one law for another. You have do’s and don’ts in the New Testament the same as in the Old Testament. If you came out from one law and gone under another, not the one under the Law of Moses, not the law of sin and death, but under the law of Christ, but it’s a law, now pay attention: When you tell these people who have gone into the apostasy and deception: «that’s not biblical. The fruit of the Spirit is self-controlled”. What do they say? “Legalism”. When you point for the Law of Christ, even the New Testament (they say): «We are not under the Law.” They (also) say: “The letter kills it but the Spirit gives it life”. Have you heard them say things like that? Out of context! What that means in context is this: The letter, the Law of Moses shows we are condemned, the new birth, the Law of the Spirit shows we can be saved. That’s what it means, but they pervert the context. That’s what it means, but they pervert the context. When you point people to the teachings of the New Testament and say:” This is wrong, this is not scriptural; the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”. When you say to them:” the fruit of the Spirit is self-control”, what Peter says repeatedly: “Be sober in Spirit, not drunk”. And they say “legalism, you are under the Law, you have a religious spirit”, like Rodney Brown’s people said, they are “anomos”, without law. The antichrist is the man of lawlessness, “anomos”; it’s the spirit of antichrist. Rodney Howard Brown has the spirit of antichrist, the man of lawlessness; He is a little antichrist paving the way for the coming one. If you can’t see through that guy, what’s going to happen when his big brother comes alone? Their love grows cold! How many now, I’ll ask the question: that you challenged people about their belief in Pensacola or Toronto or something like that, something they claimed to have experienced. That you challenged them on the basis of Scripture and they became angry at you? How many? Put your hands up. See how many people. Why they can’t follow what you say from the Bible?. They probably told you you were a legalist, right! You are under the Law. Because they went outlaw, their love grows cold towards you, because their love has grown cold towards the Lord. Were it says most men’s love will grow cold, it is not only or even primarily speaking of the world; the world never loved Jesus to begin with.

Verse 14, please, of Matthew 24, but look in verse 13:”He who endures to the end will be saved”. Notice that verse. Verse 14: “This gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all nations, then the end will come”. The next thing Jesus warns against is this: He says when you see these things happening, preach the gospel of the… Kingdom. The fifth caveat: lawlessness in the Church. The sixth: very clearly, he warns against a bunker mentality. The idea, well that’s it, it’s the last days, the falling away is here, the Gospel has been discredited. We are going to get in the Ark and escape. That’s it. That is not scriptural. It is not a time to go on the defensive but the offensive. However, it’s not the normal offensive. A time will come when all you can do is strengthen the things that remain. And our times are much like that; a time will also come, a night will come, the Great tribulation that no men can work. A time will come when the Lord will indeed close the door of the Ark once more. So it shall be in the days of Noah, Jesus said. That’s true, but when these things happen, before then, you preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. How do you evangelize people when they see this? And the Gospel has no credibility in their eyes anymore because of the state of the Church, because of what Phil Pringle and these guys are boarding in this country. How do you evangelize them? The Gospel? Yes and no. The Gospel, yes, but it is the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of the Kingdom is the Gospel, but it is the version of the Gospel we see most clearly in Matthew were Jesus speaks of hell three times as much as he does heaven. Notice at a time when we should be preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, you have these deceivers who run the March for Jesus in England like Roger Foster or annihilationists, there is no eternal hell, John Stott in England, the Anglican, can’t be sure there is a hell. Annihilationism. The Gospel of the Kingdom is: Repent, the Kingdom is at hand, like John the Baptist preached. It is the Gospel of eschatological imminence. Before Hal Lindsey discredited himself, and I am quoting him, he’s admitted he’s discredited himself with the W2K, he’s lost credibility, he’s admitted these, blew it, wouldn’t listen to anybody including his own son and he’s blown it up unfortunately; but why did so many people get saved through his ministry? He’s a third rate Bible teacher, he’s third rate but he’s a first rate evangelist. What did he do? Hal Lindsey, he’s on his third divorce tragically and remarriage, but he wrote a book, “The late great planet earth”, through whom many people were saved; what did he do? All they did was what Jesus said, they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, they used eschatology; they used Biblical prophecy about the last days to present the Gospel. Hey you see these guys on TV? Jesus warned that there would be people like Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland coming in the last days. This is a sign of the end. The very fact that these are coming in his name, this is what Jesus warned about. Hey! You see those events in the Middle East? You know Jesus said that would happen? Look what Zachariah said it’s going to happen! Using eschatology to preach the Gospel, we don’t get into a bunker mentality. We preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. The time for preaching the Gospel as such is no longer good enough. Now we have to preach the Gospel as the Gospel of the Kingdom. The same salvation message, but with the eschatological emphasis. You understand?
 
His next warning, verse 15 in chapter 24 has a lot to do with this: “When you see the abomination of desolation”. “Shiqutz Meshamem » This is much more difficult, complicated, I can’t explain it now; you have to get the “Antichrist” tapes. “But let the reader understand”(Matthew 24:15), “let he who has wisdom count the number of the Beast” (Revelation 13:18) . Psalm 119, verse 105:”Thy word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path”. The wise virgins had oil in their lamps, the illumination of the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible. Like old time Pentecostals used to sing: «Give me oil in my lamp, keep it burning”, they understood the importance of understanding the Scriptures. Now modern Pentecostalism has lost that. They have no respect for the Word of God whatsoever by and large, but the old-time Penties did. ”But he who has wisdom count the number of the Beast”, “But he who has wisdom” understand what the “Shiqutz Meshamem” is. The wise virgins will have oil in their lamps to see in the night the coming spiritual darkness. At a time we should be getting further and further and deeper and deeper into the Bible, they are getting further away. Remember it says in Daniel, “Seal these things up”. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation and Ezekiel don’t make clear sense until the appropriate time; they are sealed up. They are there! There is no new revelation, no new doctrine, but there is a clear understanding of what’s already in the Bible. You have people teaching against this. You have these neo-Nazi up in the Queensland’s, (particularly) Wendy Howard, Wendy B. Howard teaching against this. He (Jesus) warns about a lack of biblical wisdom. In the last days, understanding becomes a barometer of faithfulness. Remember Laodicea “buy salve to anoint your eyes that you may see”; the faithful virgins were able to have the oil ahead of time; in the last days understanding of the Scriptures become a barometer of faithfulness. What does it say in Daniel when the deception comes? Chapter 12, Chapter 11 and 12: None of the wicked will understand. Ok! None of the wicked will understand. That day should not overtake us like a thief. He’s coming like a thief in the night, but for the faithful it should not overtake us like a thief, we should be ready. Those who lack understanding of the Scriptures will not be ready for the return of Jesus.
His next caveat, his next warning: turn with me please to verse 17. He uses the example of one of the first types of the Rapture in this Scripture. “But he who is in the house, not go to get his things that are in the house, let him who was in the field, not turn back to get his cloak”. These have spiritual meanings. The cloak is a mantle of authority like Elijah’s mantle. The house and so on (also have a spiritual meaning), but it alludes back to Lot’s wife, doesn’t it? (It is also) a major type of the rapture when the house was surrounded. That’s a major type of the rapture and they thought it was the end of the world, and the destruction came. We have tapes explaining, explaining that. He (Jesus) warns about this, not material but materialism, attachment to the temporal things of the world. But he was in the field, not to get back to get his cloak, (but) the mantle of authority; you know one of the big dangers will be? Remember Peter? The cry went up, “it is the Lord” (John 21:7) and he put on his cloak and dived overboard. He was fishing, that was his ministry, a fisher of man, thinking (maybe) he was doing his ministry. (But,) he put on the garment of salvation and dived overboard. He left his ministry. Threw his net down and went to be with Jesus. We work till He comes. Not go back for his cloak, the mantle of authority. In the last days, the work of the Lord becomes more important than the Lord of the work. To some people, the ministry becomes an idol. There are not building a house to the Lord. They are building a monument to themselves, an enterprise, a family business to pass on to their Sonny boy. But he doesn’t know anything either, no, nothing inside. Big danger, the ministry becomes an idol, an enterprise. The work of the Lord becomes more important than the Lord of the work. And they can always justify and saying “it is God’s work”. Now we have a tape dealing with this called “The second sin of David” when he numbered the people.

Let’s continue, verse 24. For the fourth time He comes back to this: “False christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so if possible to mislead even the elect”. Revelation 13:13, how will the Antichrist and false prophets deceive people? Signs and wonders. Second Timothy chapter two (three), what does Paul say that the deceivers that will come to deceive the Church will be like? Jan’nes and Jam’bres. Who were they? Pharaoh’s magicians. What did they do? Counterfeit miracles. I am a Pentecostal, moderately speaking. By definition, I believe in signs and wonders, and gifts of the Spirit, understood scripturally. These signs follow. Jesus, of course, never had a miracle crusade. He did miracles, but never a miracle crusade. He had healings, but never a healing crusade. He had a repentance crusade. He never aloud signs, wonders, healings, miracles or anything else to be the focus of his ministry. He said” A wicked and an idolatrous generation seeks a sign”. Do you see people watching (on) the 'idiot box' Benny Hinn? (And) watching one of the idiots on the 'idiot box' going into flocking the stadiums for this stuff (We ear Jacob Prasch doing the sound of blowing air on people like Benny Hinn does), that is a wicked and an adulterous generation seeking a sign. They are being set right up for the apostesia and the apostasy and the Antichrist. Right up for it. You say: “This is not biblical, you’re under the Law, you’re a legalist, you have a religious spirit.” (We ear Jacob Prasch kind of laughing a little bit) they have the spirit of Antichrist. They have been set right up for it. They are buying a whole bill of goods. They are right where the devil wants them. Those people over in Kevin Connor’s church, and Paradise  Assemblies of God, those people in Phil Pringle’s church, Brian Houston’s church, they are right were Satan wants them to be, believing exactly what he wants them to believe. False Christs and false prophets using signs and wonders. Counterfeit signs and wonders have two meanings. One, they are not real and it is no coincidence we have death certificates of people Benny Hinn pronounced healed when they were not dead; the healings can’t even be medically authenticated (even we will be waxing on that out).But counterfeit signs and wonders mean something more sinister than the fact that they are not even real miracles in many cases. Now even if they were real miracles, that doesn’t prove anything. “Lord, didn’t we do miracles in your name?” “Yeah, get lost, I never knew you”, Matthew 7:22. Miracles prove nothing about anybody but Jesus, never a man. Not necessarily, but these miracles, of course, are in fact counterfeit. There was a Christian who is a professor of orthopedic medicine here in Australia, in orthopedic surgery, he is a professor. He wrote on the phenomena of one leg shorter than the other. He wrote it in a journal. I read it. He said the following. He said the phenomena of one leg shorter than the other usually will happen in one or two ways. You’ll have a severed femur due to a trauma victim. But when it’s congenital, when it’s more a birth defect, the difference will be very slight and is difficult to diagnose. They can measure it now with lasers, and it can usually be corrected with an orthopedic boot. He said most GP’S (General practionners) never see this and most orthopedic surgeons whose specialty it is, will only see it a few times in the entire course of their career. Most GP’S never see it; most orthopedic surgeons will only see it a few times in the entire span of their career. These clowns have it in every meeting! Pull the other one! Counterfeit signs and wonders. But counterfeit means something more than that. It means the spiritual power in back of it is not really from God. Remember Pharaoh’s magicians were able to mimic the miracles of Moses and Aaron? That’s the way the Antichrist and false prophet will counterfeit the miracles of Jesus and his witnesses. He warns. Even if they’re real, it doesn’t prove anything about the person. He calls these in Hebrew:” nechelami” (nekh-el-aw-mee') (false prophets). The only thing a false prophet is in Deuteronomy 18, read it: “is somebody who predicts something in the name of the Lord that fails to happen”. Rick Joyner, Paul Cain, Mike Bickle, Gerald Coates, Benny Hinn and Rodney Howard Brown to name but a few. Every one of them is a proven false prophet. Every one. Yonggi Cho (is) another.

Verse 26: “If therefore they say to you he is in the wilderness, do not go forth. He is in the inner rooms, do not believe it.” Over realized eschatology: when the kingdom will come (is) when Jesus does. Daniel 7:22-22, the Antichrist will make war against the Saints of the Most High until the Ancient of days comes, and then the Saints will take possession of the Kingdom. When do they take possession of the Kingdom? When Jesus comes. What does he warns about? Kingdom Now deception. You’ll find a strange marriage. You’ll find anticharismatic Hyper Calvinists who are known as Reconstructionists. They believe in something called Theonomy that the Church must take over the institutions of government the way John Calvin did in Geneva, with his police state, when they burnt people. They were the Puritans in England. They contribute their Reconstructionism: the society has to be reconstructed along a Theonomic line. The other leg of this deception is Charismania. So you have people like the Vineyard movement, Rick Godwin from America, hyper Charismatics taking on Dominion Theology. It becomes Triumphalism, Dominionism, Kingdom Now, that old bit. The March for Jesus is based on this.  “We’re going to speak into the heavenlies and take Kingdom Dominion. We proclaim the Kingdom Now”. He said his Kingdom is not of this world, be careful of people who try to say it is. Be careful of postmillennialism, it is a deception. Let’s continue. The theological term for this is over realized eschatology, if you’re interested.

Verse 36 of Matthew 24: “Of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son but the Father alone.” This is a big one. Watch out for this: date setting. When anyone ever tries to set a specific date just get up in a meeting and walk out “en masse” (a French expression meaning all together). They make public fools of themselves every time. There were even fundamental Baptists doing it in the 1980’s. “88 reasons why Jesus would come on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement”, in 1987. I saw them in England speaking in a speaker’s corner telling the Muslims (could it be the Christians instead of the Muslims?) are going to be gone within the next 72 hours; when it didn’t happen in 87, they said it’s going to happen in 88, “we’ve got the year wrong” (they said”), same as the Jehovah’s witnesses. These were fundamental Baptists. We know what time of the night, what time of the tribulation (he) is coming; we know the seasons, the times and the signs, but not the day and the hour. It is a variable, relative to us it’s a variable. In eternity, it’s fixed by the Father. Remember what Jesus said: “When the crop permits, he sends the harvesters.” “When the crop permits.” The Song of Solomon, the bridegroom coming for the bride. “Do not awaken my love until she pleases.” Pay attention, we are not waiting for Jesus to come back. Ear what I said? We are not waiting for the return of Christ. He’s waiting for us to be ready. It says in Peter: “hasten his coming.” We can actually hasten his coming by preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, by the bride getting ready. We’re not waiting for Jesus, he’s waiting for us. Now it’s fixed in eternity by the Father. Jesus may know now in eternity, but when he was on earth, he didn’t know, it was a variable. Fully human and fully divine. Let’s continue.

Let’s look at one from Luke. Luke 21:24. He uses two words in the Greek text that are also found in Romans 11:25: until,”platero”, “platero”, “until”, “until”. (Note to clarify the transcription: In these two verses, Romans 11:25 and Luke 21:24, the word “until” is from the Greek word “achri”, Strong’s concordance number 891.It is also interresting to notice in these same two verses, the word “fullness” for Romans 11:25 comes from the Greek word “pleroma”, Strong’s concordance number 4138, and for Luke 21:24, the word “fulfilled” comes from the Greek word “pleroo”, Strong’s concordance number 4137), “platero”, and the other word is “ethnon”, nations or gentiles. When Jesus said: “nation will rise against nation”, he wasn’t talking about political conflict, that was Kingdom against Kingdom. Nation against nation. You will see an increase in ethnic tension before he comes back. I don’t mean black against white; you go to Yugoslavia it is white against white; Northern Ireland, it is white against white; Africa, you go to Rwanda, it is black against black. We are talking something much more than the obvious; Asian against Asian in Indonesia. Ethnic tensions will increase. “Jerusalem will be trampled down by the feet of the Gentiles until (“achri”) the time of the Gentiles is completed (or fulfilled, “pleroo”)”. Be very careful of people who tell you that God is finished with the Jews and that these events in the Middle-East do not fulfill prophecy, that is a deception. These things are clearly signs of the End. Israel is God’s timepiece for the nations. The fact that they are back in their land and, as importantly, the fact that Jews are turning to Christ again for the first time in big numbers since the early centuries of the Church, both of those things, that the natural branches are being graphed again show that Jesus is coming. The time of the Gentiles is coming to an end. Paul speaks of it and salvifically in Romans 11. Jesus speaks of it nationally in Luke’s version of the Olivet discourse. The time of the Gentiles comes to an end. God turns his grace back to the Jews and we see that beginning to happen. The time of the Gentiles didn’t happen overnight, it was a transition period in the first and second century, and now there’s a transition period going back. Again, we have other tapes explaining this transition in greater depth. Be careful of this. Sometimes it is called “supersessionism”, it is more commonly known as this: “replacement theology”, that the Church has replaced Israel. No, it has not! It is the same olive tree. Gentiles who believe replace Jews who don’t, but the tree is Israel. The first Christians were Jews and the last Christians will be Jews. There are two errors. One is this: replacement theology; the equal and opposite error is the extreme of Christian Zionism. These silly people who are trying to bring the Jews back to Israel from Russia without the Gospel, they’re bringing them back to the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble. The Church is taken out of Great Tribulation (I believe effectively that the Church will be taken out of the wrath of God, but it (the Church) will have to go throught the Great Tribulation which I believe is the wrath of Satan and that it will happen chronologically before the wrath of God) but the Jews go through the whole thing.”kämo hû w’ët-tzäräh h’iy l’yaa’qov”(these Hebrew words are the ones I found on internet, but they don’t sound exactly like those Jacob Prasch said here) Jeremiah calls it “The time of Jacob’s trouble”. Would you give a Jew a ticket to Auschwitz without giving him Jesus-Christ? You’ve got to be careful. Keep away from “Bridges for peace” keep away from “Ebenezer fund”, and above all, “Ebenezer fund” signed an agreement never to tell a Jewish person that Jesus is the Messiah. Keep away from “Ebenezer fund”, keep away from “Bridges for peace” and above all, keep away from “The international Christian Embassy”. It is neither Christian nor an embassy.
 What happens next? “Two women will be grinding, one taken, one left”. Jesus warns of this: no, not everybody who says they’re born again is going to be raptured. Many faithful Christians will be martyred before that happens and the unfaithful, they are going to fall away. “Will the Son of man find faith on earth?” He will find a remnant. Look at Jeremiah chapter 8:20. “The harvest is past, the summer is ended. We are not saved”, they’re going to say. Pay attention, get this straight: hang on to every syllable, ready? The foolish virgins aren’t going anyplace. You heard what I said? The foolish virgins aren’t going anyplace. It’s only the wise virgins. And finally, look at verse 49 (In Matthew chapter 24):” (He, the evil servant) shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with the drunkards.” Heavy shepherding and drunkenness; leaders, he’s talking about here. Instead of the faithful leaders who’ll give the proper food at the proper time, instead of those who will give you what you need, to know what you need to do to get out of here, they’re going to beat your fellow servants, heavy shepherding fleecing the sheep. Nicholaïtanism will increase in the Last Days and with it these guys will be drunk, inebriation.  Ezekiel 34, heavy shepherding: we looked at this yesterday.


Let’s look at first Peter, please in conclusion. First Peter, chapter one, verse 13:” Keep your minds fixed for action, keep sober in spirit, is “obreedzo” in Greek (“nay'-fo”, to be sober minded, Strong’s number 3525), not “deanibrio” (I am not really sure of the pronunciation of the two Greek words Jacob Prasch said here in the audio tape, but the Greek word 'nay'-fo' is associated to the word 'sober' according to the Strong's Concordance for the verse 13 in 1 Peter 1). First Peter chapter 4, verse 7: “The end of all things is at hand” is eschatological of the last days. “Therefore be of sound judgment and sober of spirit”, not drunk , “obreedzo”. Chapter 5, verse 8: “Be of sober spirit, the devil is trying to devour you.” What does Paul say in Timothy? Look at it in second Timothy (2 Timothy 4:3):” But the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine”, in chapter 4, verse 3, “but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves (teachers like…) Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Brian Houston and company, teachers in accordance with their own desires who will turn away their ears from truth and turn aside to myths. Will you get drunk? You be sober. You see what’s happening, right? That’s what Jesus warned about in the caveats, the warnings of the Olivet discourse. He does not want us to be unprepared for his coming; he wants the bride to be dressed and ready to go. False Christs, rambunction, pre-tribulationism, great falling away, the apostasy, lawlessness which is the spirit of the Antichrist, a bunker mentality, a lack of understanding the Scriptures, materialism and attachment to the fallen world, counterfeit signs and wonders performed by false prophets, Kingdom Now Theology, Over realized eschatology, date setting, replacement theology; denying that the prophetic purpose of God for the Church is anything less than bound up with his prophetic purpose for the Jews is an error. He warns against totality (that is, the false idea that all those who pretend being Christians would be raptured. In fact, in the Parobol of the ten Virgins, we learn that only the wise ones will be raptured ), heavy shepherding and drunkenness. “See to it that no one leads you astray" (Matthew 24:4). "If possible, the elect will be deceived.” (Matthew 24:24). We don’t have to be deceived. Jesus doesn’t want us to be deceived. Forewarned is forearmed. God bless you and thanks!

mercredi 24 mai 2017

Parallel entre Matthieu 24 et les 6 premiers sceaux de l' Apocalypse

Quand on étudie le chapitre 24 de l'Évangile de Matthieu et les six premiers sceaux du chapitre 6 de l'Apocalypse, il nous apparaît, après une étude sérieuse, que certains passages semblent être en parallèle, non seulement dans la description des événements devant se dérouler au temps de la fin, mais aussi, jusqu'à une certaine mesure, dans leur chronologie. C'est ce que je tenterai d'établir dans cette étude.

1- Parallèle entre le premier sceau de l'Apocalypse et certains versets de Matthieu 24:

Lisons pour commencer les versets suivants de Matthieu 24:4-5; 24:11; 24:23-27 et Apocalypse 6:1-2

"Jésus leur répondit: Prenez garde que personne ne vous séduise. Car plusieurs viendront sous mon nom, disant: c'est moi qui suis le Christ. Et ils séduiront beaucoup de gens." (Matthieu 24:4-5)

"Plusieurs faux prophètes s'élèveront, et ils séduiront beaucoup de gens." (Matthieu 24:11)

"Si quelqu'un vous dit alors: Le Christ est ici, ou: Il est là, ne le croyez pas. Car il s'élèvera de faux Christs et de faux prophètes; ils feront de grands prodiges et des miracles, au point de séduire, s'il était possible, même les élus. Voici, je vous l'ai annoncé d'avance. Si donc on vous dit: Voici, il est dans le désert, n'y allez pas; voici, il est dans les chambres, ne le croyez pas. Car, comme l'éclair part de l'orient et se montre jusqu'en occident , ainsi sera l'avènement du Fils de l'homme." (Matthieu 24:23-27)

"Je regardai, quand l'agneau ouvrit un des sept sceaux, et j'entendis l'un des quatre êtres vivants qui disait comme d'une voix de tonnerre: viens. Je regardai, et voici, parut un cheval blanc. Celui qui le montait avait un arc; une couronne lui fut donnée, et il partit en vainqueur et pour vaincre." (Apocalypse 6:1-2)

Que ce soit dans les versets de Matthieu 24: 4-5, 11, 23-27 ou dans Apocalypse 6:1-2, le thème principal est la séduction. Deux observations nous portent à croire qu'il s'agit bien de séduction dans Apocalypse 6:1-2 tout comme dans Matthieu 24:4-5, 11, 23-27.
Premièrement, le cavalier qui monte le cheval blanc reçoit une "couronne". Le mot couronne utilisé dans le grec pour Apocalypse 6:2 est "stephanos". Habituellement, le mot "stephanos" est réservé pour désigner une couronne gagnée par un athlète, par exemple, durant des jeux sportifs ou désigne une couronne donnée à un chef guerrier victorieux durant une bataille ou une guerre. Ce mot "stephanos" n'est pas utilisé quand on parle de couronne royale. On utilise plutôt le mot "diadème" (en grec: "diadêma")  Celui qui reçoit donc la couronne (stephanos) dans Apocalypse 6:2 ne peut être le vrai Jésus, car le vrai Jésus est le roi des rois.  À noter que Jésus lui aussi est décrit comme montant sur un cheval blanc dans Apocalypse 19: 11-12 , mais il porte sur sa tête plusieurs diadèmes ("diadêma", signe de royauté) et non pas une couronne ("stephanos"). Le cavalier d'Apocalypse 6:2 ressemble plutôt à l'antéchrist, celui dont Jésus a parlé lorsqu'il a dit:
"Je suis venu au nom de mon Père, et vous ne me recevez pas; si un autre vient en son propre nom, vous le recevrez."
Il est un imposteur et un séducteur car il tente de se faire passer pour le Christ. C'est pour ça qu'il est décrit montant un cheval blanc avec une couronne au lieu d'un diadème. Il vient en son propre nom pour vaincre. Il ne vient pas au nom du Père. Il veut se proclamer lui-même Dieu comme on peut le lire dans 2 Thessaloniciens 2:4 . L'apparition de ce séducteur et imposteur, vue sous cet angle, correspond donc dans le temps à celle du premier cavalier de l'apocalypse. Ce premier cavalier de l'Apocalypse, ce séducteur, a pour objectif de faire du mal à tous les habitants de la terre, tout comme les trois autres cavaliers qui le suivent. Mais ça ne se verra pas au tout début. La séduction de l'antéchrist résidera également dans le fait que les batailles militaires ou les négociations politiques qu'il aura menées pour conclure un pacte de paix ou une alliance et qui l'auront rendu célèbre sembleront garantes d'une plus grande capacité de maintenir la paix dans le monde entier.  Aussi, les batailles, non seulement militaires, mais également de nature sociales et religieuses, qu'il annoncera vouloir mener dans le future, sembleront pour la grande majorité des humains être pour le bien de l'humanité.
La Parole nous avertit que l'antéchrist va apparaître au moment où l'apostasie, l'abandon de la foi véritable, va arriver (2 Thessaloniciens 2:3). Cet abandon de la foi véritable viendra pernicieusement et en grande partie de l'intérieur de l'église par des faux prophètes et faux docteurs qui introduiront de fausses doctrines (Voir Actes 20:30 et 2 Pierre 2:1-22). On a qu'à penser à toutes les fausses doctrines introduites au temps de l'empereur Constantin et qui ont mené à l'émergence de l'église catholique. De nos jours, on peut évoquer aussi la venue du mouvement New Apostolic Reformation dont le leader principal était C. Peter Wagner. (il est décédé récemment). Ces faux docteurs et prophètes collaboreront avec l'antéchrist, ce qui amplifiera la séduction. L'apôtre Paul n'a-t-il pas écrit dans 2 Thessaloniciens 2:9-10 que l'apparition de l'impie se fera non seulement par la puissance de Satan, avec toutes sortes de miracles, de signes et de prodiges mensongers, mais aussi avec toutes les séductions de l'iniquité pour ceux qui périssent parce qu'ils n'ont pas reçu l'amour de la vérité pour être sauvés? Jésus n'a-t-il pas déclaré aussi?: "Mais quand le Fils de l'homme viendra, trouvera-t-il de la foi sur la terre?" (Luc 18:8). C'est la raison pour laquelle il est si important, je dirais même vital, de s'attacher à la Parole de Dieu et de la méditer en demandant au Saint-Esprit de nous éclairer sur le sens véritable qu'il faut y donner pour ne pas tomber dans le piège de la séduction.
Deuxièmement, dans Apocalypse 6:2, il est dit que celui qui montait le cheval blanc avait un arc. L'arc peut être une arme de guerre offensive ou défensive. Les flèches utilisée peuvent être parfois enflammées ou même empoisonnées (voir Éphésiens 6:16 et Job 6:4). Mais aussi, tout comme pour l'arc-en-ciel, l'arc ( en tant q'arme offensive) a servi, avec d'autres objets, au moins une fois dans l'Ancien Testament, comme un gage d'une alliance qui venait d'être conclue. Le passage biblique en question se trouve dans le premier livre de Samuel au chapitre 18:

"Jonathan fit alliance avec David parce qu'il l'aimait comme son âme. Il ôta le manteau qu'il portait, pour le donner à David; et il lui donna ses vêtements, même son épée, son arc et sa ceinture." (1 Samuel 18:3-4)

L'alliance ou les alliances qui seront négociées par l'antéchrist seront empoisonnées de la même manière qu'un arc peut aussi tirer des flèches empoisonnées. Aussi, dans Osée 7: 15-16 il est écrit, que le peuple d' Ephraïm est comme un arc trompeur parce qu'il médite le mal contre le Très-Haut. L'arc du cavalier d'Apocalypse 6:2 est aussi un arc trompeur parce que celui qui le monte médite le mal et non le bien de l'humanité.
Pour conclure cette première partie, il semble raisonnable d'affirmer que le premier cavalier de l'Apocalypse représente le faux christ (L'antéchrist) et tous ses collaborateurs qui travaillent à séduire tous les habitants de la terre, y compris même les chrétiens tièdes, pour les éloigner de la vérité qui est Jésus-Christ.

Parallèle entre le deuxième sceau de l'Apocalypse et certains passages de Matthieu 24:

"Quand il ouvrit le second sceau, j'entendis le second être vivant qui disais: Viens. Et il sortit un autre cheval , roux. Celui qui le montait reçu le pouvoir d'enlever la paix de la terre, afin que les hommes s'égorgeassent les uns les autres; et une grande épée lui fut donnée."
(Apocalypse 6:3-4)

"Vous entendrez parler de guerres et de bruits de guerres; gardez-vous d'être troublés, car il faut que ces choses arrivent. Mais ce ne sera pas encore la fin. Une nation s'élèvera contre une nation, et un royaume contre un royaume, et il y aura, en divers lieux, des famines et des tremblements de terre. Tout cela ne sera que le commencement des douleurs." (Matthieu 24:6-8)

Il y a eu des guerres et des bruits de guerre tout le long de l'histoire de l'humanité, mais, à la fin des temps, cette situation sera amplifiée et aura un impact sur tous les habitants de la terre puisqu'il est écrit dans Apocalypse 6:4 que le cavalier qui montait le cheval roux ou rouge (couleur du sang) reçu le pouvoir d'enlever la paix de la terre afin que les hommes s'égorgeassent (se tuent violemment) les uns les autres. Ici, il s'agit d'enlever la paix à toutes les régions de la terre. Cette prophétie commence déjà à s'accomplir quand on considère ce qu'on appelle aujourd'hui le terrorisme international.
Il est écrit aussi qu'une nation s'élèvera contre une nation , et un royaume contre un royaume. Que comprendre de ce passage? Le mot grec traduit par "nation" dans Matthieu 24:7 est "ethnos" et veut dire race, peuple ou nation.  Depuis au moins 1948, il est facile de comprendre que la nation juive a eu à plusieurs reprises et aura encore des conflits guerriers les opposant aux nations arabes. Cet état de fait va empirer jusqu'au moment où l'antéchrist, par son pouvoir de séduction, proposera une solution que probablement presque tous les dirigeants de la terre soutiendront. L'antéchrist respectera lui-même, en apparence, ce pacte de paix qui devrait durer 7 ans pendant 3 ans et demi, mais après cela il tentera de détruire la nation juive et tous les vrais chrétiens qui seront encore en vie.
Le mot grec traduit par "royaume" est "basileia" et pourrait signifier dans le contexte de Matthieu 24 :7 un royaume dans le sens d'entité politique comme un pays ou une alliance de plusieurs pays telle l'Union Européenne. On peut comprendre de nos jours qu'il existe un royaume nouveau genre nommé "État Islamique". Ce "royaume" de nature religieuse musulmane veut faire la guerre (le "djihad") à tous les pays ou alliances de pays qui ne suivent pas ou qui ignorent les principes religieux musulmans intégristes. Encore une fois, l'antéchrist, par le pacte de paix d'une durée de 7 ans qu'il proposera fera croire qu'il est capable de mettre fin à ce conflit grandissant.

Parallèle entre le troisième sceau de l'Apocalypse et certains passages de Matthieu 24:

"Quand il ouvrit le troisième sceau, j'entendis le troisième être vivant qui disais: Viens. Je regardai, et voici, parut un cheval noir. Celui qui le montait tenait une balance dans la main. Et j'entendis au milieu des quatre êtres vivants une voix qui disait: une mesure de blé pour un denier et trois mesures d'orge pour un denier; mais ne fais point de mal à l'huile et au vin."
(Apocalypse 6:5-6)

"...et il y aura, en divers lieux, des famines et des tremblements de terre." (deuxième moitié de Matthieu 24:7, version Louis Segond)

La version Martin 1855 et celle de la King James rajoute ceci pour le même verset (deuxième moitié de Matthieu 24:7):

"...et il y aura des famines, et des pestes, et des tremblements de terre en divers lieux"

Le troisième sceau nous montre, tout comme dans Matthieu 24:7 qu'il y aura, minimalement, une grande famine.

Voici, à ce sujet, un long extrait de mon article intitulé :"Les 4 premiers sceaux de l'Apocalypse, 2ème partie" datant du 10 février 2012: 
L'extrait en question commence en parlant aussi du deuxième sceau:

"Quand le second sceau est ouvert par le Seigneur Jésus-Christ, un cheval roux apparaît monté par un cavalier qui reçoit le pouvoir d'enlever la paix de la terre ''afin que les hommes s'égorgeassent les uns les autres; et une grande épée lui fut donnée'' (Apocalypse 6:3-4). Le séducteur, apparu quand le premier sceau a été ouvert, agit maintenant à l'opposé de sa promesse de paix. Il déclenche un conflit mondial qui sera pire encore que les deux guerres mondiales qui ont eu lieu au siècle dernier. Les conséquences sont désastreuses pour l'économie. Des famines apparaissent un peu partout sur la terre. C'est le sujet du troisième sceau:

''Quand il ouvrit le troisième sceau, j'entendis le troisième être vivant qui disait: Viens. Je regardai, et voici, parut un cheval noir. Celui qui le montait tenait une balance dans sa main. Et j'entendis au milieu des quatre êtres vivants une voix qui disait: Une mesure de blé pour un denier, et trois mesures d'orge pour un denier; mais ne fais point de mal à l'huile et au vin.'' 

Le fait de mentionner qu'il faut payer une mesure de blé pour un denier et trois mesures d'orge pour un denier nous révèle que la nourriture va coûter extrêmement cher. À l'époque où l'Apocalypse a été écrite, le salaire pour une journée de travail était plus ou moins équivalent à un denier. Une mesure de blé correspondait à ce qui est nécessaire pour nourrir un homme ayant un appétit moyen pendant une seule journée. Bien qu'il ne soit  pas déterminé avec certitude combien valait une mesure (vient du nom grec 'choenix') ( 'Le Nouveau Dictionnaire Biblique' établit la valeur de la mesure à 2.94 litres tandis que le 'A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament' l'établit à environ un peu moins que le quart d'un gallon, soit environ 1.1 litre) ce qui est sûr est que le salaire d'une journée de travail devient alors largement insuffisant pour nourrir toute une famille. En conséquent, la situation économique fera en sorte que des famines auront lieu un peu partout sur le globe.

Par contre, la fin du verset 6 de Apocalypse chapitre 6 nous révèle deux détails supplémentaires selon l'interprétation qu'on peut en donner: ''mais ne fais point de mal à l'huile et au vin.'' pourrait signifier que cette situation économique ne durera pas plus longtemps que la saison tardive du printemps et de la saison d'été puisque la récolte de l'huile et du vin ne se fait qu'à l'automne et que cette récolte sera épargnée. 
Une autre façon d'interpréter ce passage est de voir que le peuple de Dieu (les chrétiens) sera épargné de cette famine d'une façon miraculeuse, un peu à la manière du peuple Juif dans l'histoire des dix plaies d'Égypte racontée dans le livre de l'Exode. Pour en arriver à cette dernière conclusion, il faut d'abord établir que le mot vin serait mieux traduit par le mot vigne. Le mot utilisé en grec est 'oinos'. Habituellement ce mot est traduit par vin, mais il peut vouloir dire vigne. C'est ce que prétend Joseph Henry Thayer dans son ouvrage 'A Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament' à propos du terme 'oinos' utilisé dans Apocalypse 6:6. Si c'est vraiment le cas, il est bon de se rappeler que Jésus lui-même nous a comparé à une vigne dans Jean 15:1-8. Le mot huile en grec est 'elaion' et signifie huile d'olive ou simplement huile.On pourrait associer facilement ce mot à l'olivier franc, c'est-à-dire au vrai peuple de Dieu comme l'apôtre Paul l'explique dans Romains 11.Le mot huile est également associé au Saint-Esprit qui habite dans chacun des enfants de Dieu. Le mot Christ ne signifie-t-il pas oint de Dieu? Nous sommes tous membres du corps de Christ si nous avons cru en Lui et si nous l'avons reçu.
Toutes ces explications ont pour but de montrer pourquoi on commencera globalement à persécuter tous les chrétiens. Le séducteur, le menteur à la tête du gouvernement mondial blâmera les chrétiens d'avoir déclenché cette troisième guerre mondiale et d'avoir provoqué cette immense famine et ils seront mis à mort de diverses façons. Ils devront se cacher pour se protéger. Ils ne pourront plus acheter ni vendre car un nouveau système économique sera institué faisant en sorte que seuls ceux qui approuvent l'antéchrist pourront en bénéficier. Alors ils mourront exécutés ou par la famine ou par maladie (ils ne pourront être soignés) ou par accidents dans la nature. C'est le sujet du quatrième sceau:..." Fin de l'extrait.

Dans Matthieu 24:7 on apprend qu'il y aura, en fait, plusieurs famines et qu'il y aura aussi des "pestes" (on dirait aujourd'hui des épidémies) et des tremblements de terre. Des épidémies se produisent souvent suite à une période de famine. En ce qui concerne les tremblements de terre, il est facile de vérifier que leur fréquence augmente de nos jours.

Parallèle entre le quatrième sceau de l'Apocalypse et certains passages de Matthieu 24:

"Quand il ouvrit le quatrième sceau, j'entendis la voix du quatrième être vivant qui disait: Viens. Je regardai, et voici, parut un cheval d'une couleur pâle. Celui qui le montait se nommait la mort, et le séjour des morts l'accompagnait. Le pouvoir leur fut donné sur le quart de la terre , pour faire périr les hommes par l'épée, par la famine, par la mortalité, et par les bêtes sauvages de la terre." (Apocalypse 6:7-8)

"Alors on vous livrera aux tourments, et l'on vous fera mourir; et vous serai hais de toutes les nations, à cause de mon nom." (Matthieu 24:9)

"C'est pourquoi, lorsque vous verrai l'abomination de la désolation, dont a parlé le prophète Daniel, établi en lieu saint, ---que celui qui lit fasse attention!--- alors que ceux qui seront en Judée fuient dans les montagnes; que celui qui sera sur le toit ne descende pas pour prendre ce qui est dans sa maison; et que celui qui sera dans les champs ne retourne pas en arrière pour prendre son manteau. Malheur aux femmes qui seront enceintes et à celles qui allaiterons en ces jours-là! Priez pour que votre fuite n'arrive pas en hiver, ni un jour de sabbat. Car alors la détresse sera si grande qu'il n'y en a point eu de pareille depuis le commencement du monde jusqu'à présent, et qu'il y en aura jamais. Et si ces jours n'étaient abrégés, personne ne serait sauvé; mais à cause des élus, ces jours seront abrégés." (Matthieu 24:15-22)

Faire périr les hommes par l'épée, la famine, la "mortalité" et par les bêtes sauvages de la terre (Apocalypse 6:8) signifie pour moi que beaucoup de personnes mourront directement ou indirectement surtout à cause de la persécution contre les chrétiens ("Alors on vous livrera aux tourments et l'on vous fera mourir; et vous serez hais de toutes les nations à cause de mon nom"(Matthieu 24 :9). Certaines personnes chrétiennes seront faites prisonnières et exécutées par l'épée ou toute autre moyen plus moderne à cause de leur foi en Jésus. D'autres mourront de faim ayant fui la persécution chrétienne et ayant refusé de porter la marque de la bête, ils n'auront alors aucun autre moyen que le troc pour acheter ce qu'il faut pour se nourrir. D'autres mourront de  maladies infectieuses comme la peste ou la pneumonie ou l'infarctus parce que leur système immunitaire et les autres systèmes du corps humain seront affaiblis par la faim (c'est peut-être cela que signifie "périr par la mortalité"). Enfin, d'autres mourront par les bêtes sauvages de la terre (piqûres d'insectes, morsures de serpents...etc) parce qu'ils se seront réfugiés dans les coins les plus reculés et sauvages de la planète pour fuir la persécution. Comme le souligne Matthieu 24:15-22, la détresse sera excessivement grande, parce que la mort frappera au moins le quart de la population mondiale qui aura déjà été dévastée, juste avant, par les guerres annoncées dans le deuxième sceau de l'Apocalypse

Parallèle entre le cinquième sceau de l'Apocalypse (6:9-11) et Matthieu 24:9

"Quand il ouvrit le cinquième sceau, je vis sous l'autel les âmes de ceux qui avaient été immolés à cause de la parole de Dieu et à cause du témoignage qu'ils avaient rendu. Ils crièrent d'une voix forte, en disant: jusqu'à quand, Maître saint et véritable, tardes-tu à juger, et à tirer vengeance de notre sang sur les habitants de la terre? Une robe blanche fut donnée à chacun d'eux; et il leur fut dit de se tenir en repos quelque temps encore, jusqu'à ce que fut complet le nombre de leurs compagnons de service et de leurs frères qui devaient être mis à mort comme eux." (Apocalypse 6:9-11)

"Alors on vous livrera aux tourments, et l'on vous fera mourir; et vous serai hais de toutes les nations, à cause de mon nom." (Matthieu 24:9)

Le même verset de Matthieu 24 (Matthieu  24:9) qui a été utilisé pour établir un parallèle avec le quatrième sceau de l'Apocalypse (6:7-8) peut également être utilisé pour établir un lien avec les versets 9 et 11 du chapitre 6 de l'Apocalypse (cinquième sceau). En réalité, le cinquième sceau de l'Apocalypse nous donne un aperçu de ce qui arrivera au ciel, et non sur la terre, durant et après le massacre des chrétiens qui aura eu lieu au quatrième sceau. On apprend que ce sont les âmes de tous les chrétiens martyrs, non pas seulement ceux qui sont morts au quatrième sceau, mais j'aurais tendance à y inclure aussi la totalité de ceux qui sont morts martyrs depuis le tout début de l'ère chrétienne et de tous les martyrs de l'Ancien Testament, qui sont sous l'autel (Apocalypse 6:9). Ce qui me porte à croire à cela est le passage suivant de Apocalypse 20:4-6 :

"Et je vis des trônes, et à ceux qui s'y assirent fut donné le pouvoir de juger. Et je vis les âmes de ceux qui avaient été décapités à cause du témoignage de Jésus et à cause de la parole de Dieu, et de ceux qui n'avaient pas adoré la bête ni son image, et qui n'avaient pas reçu la marque sur leur front et sur leur main. Ils revinrent à la vie, et ils régnèrent avec Christ pendant mille ans. Les autres morts ne revinrent point à la vie jusqu'à ce que les mille ans fussent accomplis. C'est la première résurrection. Heureux et saints ceux qui ont part à la première résurrection! La seconde mort n'a point de pouvoir sur eux; mais ils seront sacrificateurs de Dieu et de Christ, et ils régneront avec lui pendant mille ans." (Apocalypse 20:4-6) (version Louis-Segond)

"Et je vis des trônes, sur lesquels s'assirent des personnes, et il leur fut donné de juger. Je vis aussi les âmes de ceux qui avaient été décapités pour le témoignage de Jésus, et pour la parole de Dieu, et ceux qui n'avaient point adoré la bête, ni son image, et qui n'avaient point pris sa marque sur leurs fronts, ou à leurs mains. Et ils vécurent et régnèrent avec Christ mille ans." (Apocalypse 20:4) (version Ostervald)


Je me suis souvent posé beaucoup de questions à propos de ce passage depuis les 6 dernières années sans parvenir à une conclusion solide que j'en ai saisi toute la profondeur et toute la vérité. Alors voici où j'en suis rendu: Ces versets ont été écrits dans le contexte du retour de Jésus. Ils décrivent selon moi la résurrection des "morts en Christ" ( celle de 1 Thessaloniciens 4:16) lesquels précéderont tous ceux qui seront encore vivants (1 Thessaloniciens 4:17). Apocalypse 20:4 nous révèle que ces morts en Christ sont ceux qui ont été décapités ou tués, peu importe le moyen, 1- à cause du témoignage de Jésus, d'autres, 2- à cause de la parole de Dieu depuis que Dieu s'est révélé aux hommes jusqu'à aujourd'hui et, enfin, 3- ceux qui dans le futur n'adoreront pas la bête ni son image et qui ne recevront pas la marque de la bête sur leur front et sur leur main. Cela peut ainsi inclure des personnages bibliques de l'Ancien Testament étant donné qu'il est écrit qu'une des catégorie de personnes est celle de ceux qui ont été décapités à cause de la parole de Dieu, à part de ceux qui sont morts à cause du témoignage de Jésus et de ceux qui diront non à la bête. La version Ostervald de ce passage illustre mieux qu'il y a trois catégories de personnes qui vont participer à cette première résurrection. Les autres chrétiens vont ressusciter après les mille ans seulement d'après Apocalypse 20:5. Dans Apocalypse 20:11 à 15, au jugement dernier, il est écrit que la mer rendit les morts qui étaient en elle, la mort et le séjour des morts rendirent les morts qui étaient en eux. On apprend tout de suite après que seuls la mort et le séjour des morts furent jetés dans l'étang de feu. Ceux qui étaient dans la mer n'ont pas été jetés dans l'étang de feu. Cette mer nous est mentionnée pour la première fois dans Apocalypse 4:6 :

"Il y a encore devant le trône comme une mer de verre, semblable à du cristal." (Apocalypse 4:6)

Elle est mentionnée pour la deuxième fois dans Apocalypse 15:2:

"Et je vis comme une mer de verre, mêlée de feu, et ceux qui avaient vaincu la bête, et son image, et le nombre de son nom, debout sur la mer de verre, ayant des harpes de Dieu" (Apocalypse 15:2).

Je crois vraiment que devant le trône de Dieu, sur cette mer de verre semblable à du cristal, se tiennent la plupart des âmes de tous les chrétiens qui sont morts jusqu'à aujourd'hui (remarquez qu'il y avait une cuve remplie d'eau dans le Tabernacle terrestre construit par Moïse. Je suggère que son équivalent dans le Tabernacle céleste est cette mer de verre semblable à du cristal). Les autres âmes sont celles des croyants qui sont morts martyrs; leurs âmes sont sous l'autel céleste et réclament que justice leur soit rendue (Apocalypse 6:9-11) . On les retrouvera plus tard, eux aussi, sur la mer de verre quand la totalité de leurs compagnons de service auront été exécutés comme eux (voir Apocalypse 6:11). Ce sont eux seulement, c'est-à-dire tous les martyrs du Nouveau Testament et de l'Ancien, comme il est mentionné dans Apocalypse 20:4, qui participeront à la première résurrection, tandis que les autres auront leur récompense mille ans plus tard au jugement dernier. Comment expliquer ce fait? Je pense que ceux qui vont participer à la première résurrection sont ceux dont il est dit dans Apocalypse 12:11 qu'ils n'ont pas aimé leur vie jusqu'à craindre la mort dans une situation de persécution extrême.

Parallèle entre le sixième sceau de l'Apocalypse (Apocalypse 6:12-17) et Matthieu 24: 27-31

"Aussitôt après ces jours de détresse, le soleil s'obscurcira, la lune ne donnera plus sa lumière, les étoiles tomberont du ciel, et les puissances des cieux seront ébranlées" (Matthieu 24:29)

"Je regardai quand il ouvrit le sixième sceau; et il y eu un grand tremblement de terre, le soleil devint noir comme un sac de crin, la lune entière devint comme du sang, et les étoiles du ciel tombèrent sur la terre, comme lorsqu'un figuier secoué par un vent violent jette ses figues vertes. Le ciel se retira comme un livre qu'on roule; et toutes les montagnes et les îles furent remuées de leur place." (Apocalypse 6:12-14)

Dans Matthieu 24:29 on apprend que c'est après ces jours de détresse que ces "catastrophes" terrestres et célestes (de nature géologique et astrophysique) auront lieu. C'est le même "pattern" du point de vue chronologique dans la description des six premiers sceaux de l'Apocalypse. La détresse causée par la persécution des chrétiens précède la plupart de ces "catastrophes" terrestres et célestes.

"Alors, le signe du Fils de l'homme paraîtra dans le ciel, toutes les tribus de la terre se lamenteront, et elles verront le Fils de l'homme venant sur les nuées du ciel avec puissance et une grande gloire. Il enverra ses anges avec la trompette retentissante, et ils rassembleront ses élus des quatre vents , depuis une extrémité des cieux jusqu'à l'autre." (Matthieu 24:30-31)

"Les rois de la terre, les grands, les chefs militaires, les riches, les puissants, tous les esclaves et les hommes libres, se cachèrent dans les cavernes et dans les rochers des montagnes. Et ils disaient aux montagnes et aux rochers: Tombez sur nous et cachez-nous devant la face de celui qui est assis sur le trône, et devant la colère de l'agneau; car le grand jour de sa colère est venu, et qui peut subsister? (Apocalypse 6: 15-17).

Il est clair que ces deux derniers passages (Matthieu 24:30-31 et Apocalypse 6:15-17) parlent du retour de Jésus triomphant, dans toute sa gloire, et que tous les hommes de toutes les tribus de la terre et de toutes les sphères de la société responsables des grandes persécutions (la Grande Tribulation) des chrétiens se lamenteront. Ils auront peur et tenteront de se cacher. Car le grand jour de la colère de Dieu est venu. On peut voir cette colère de Dieu agir à partir du septième sceau de l'Apocalypse (Chapitre 8) jusqu'au chapitre 20. 

En conclusion, tous ces passages qui ont été vus en parallèle nous révèlent que l'enlèvement ne pourra avoir lieu au début de la Grande Tribulation comme beaucoup d'interprètes de la Bible le pensent. La Grande Tribulation est décrite dans Matthieu 24 et Apocalypse 6 et les chrétiens devront la vivre. Cependant, il est vrai que les chrétiens n'auront pas à vivre la Colère de Dieu qui pointe à l'horizon à la fin du sixième sceau de l'Apocalypse. Une autre conclusion se dégage de cette étude: Il semblerait que la première résurrection ne soit réservée qu'à tous les martyrs tués pour la cause de la vérité (Jésus est la Vérité) autant dans l'Ancien que dans le Nouveau Testament. Les autres croyants ressusciteront vraisemblablement après le Millénium. Il faut quand même comprendre que leurs âmes seront devant le trône de Dieu au ciel. C'est déjà une très grande récompense.