We were at Doorwerth Castle the other day with one of the grandchildren and there I saw a saying of Bilderdijk. In one of the rooms he – the text, not Bilderdijk – was painted on the wall. I just took a picture of it right away. Particularly the second part of the text touched on the things that I have been dealing with for a long time, namely the question to what extent we can see shadows of future things in the things that are happening now.
We have an expression that says 'great events cast their shadows ahead'. It means according to it dictionary that they announce themselves ominously.
Another proverb comes from Hosea 8:7, "Whoever sows wind will reap storm."
These two sayings, together with Bilderdijk's spell, do express my feelings about the times in which we live. What you now see coming are the contours of what will happen in full force soon. That is an ominous prospect: the storm you see coming has also been sown by people as wind. At the same time, they are the judgments of God.
These are all kinds of developments that we have already mentioned in other articles. For example on these blogs: 'The final plot' and 'What now?‘.
- The climate idiocy has taken enormous forms in the past year. The story that we need to 'save' the earth is a lie that the majority of people have come to believe. It results in the collapse of the economic system and eventually leads the people to poverty or even starvation.
Wind and sun are technically insufficient to keep the Western economy running, even if you make mega investments. Incidentally, this is also related to the CO2 madness that will be the death knell for both our fisheries and the farmer. With all the misery that entails. See also here about 'climate-change’ - An equally great lie is the gender idiocy 'you are what you feel' and 'men can bear children'; those kind of things. The damage it causes to (young) people is enormous.
- And what more can we say about the corona lie and the supposedly 'harmless' vaccines? Sudden illnesses and deaths come from a variety of causes, but not from the vaccinations. At least, that's what they try to tell you. The consequential damage is enormous and can hardly be overseen. Most likely, the next pandemic is already on its way.
- In the past year, the war in the Ukraine has been added, with the potential of a nuclear war. That the West has been pushing for this for almost ten years is something Merkel said a while back (see for example here). But of course you can't repeat it.
- Last of this list we mention the beautiful story that the EU has invented a digital identity for us; because that has a lot of 'advantages' you should know! The fact that the European Central Bank (ECB) invents a digital Euro for us is also very 'convenient' and it becomes absolutely wonderful if you link these two together and also connect them to CO2 credits. Then you can control and direct all residents; This is called 'influencing behaviour', although others call it 'totalitarian control'.
My expectation is that the current situation in the world will develop further into the totalitarian world of the antichrist. “In the now lies what will be” wrote Bilderdijk. That could happen sooner than we think. Wasn't that the case for the past three years?
You may find this description exaggerated or nonsensical. That is allowed and I can also imagine something about it. Most people will agree with you. But some people see developments going in the wrong direction. They fear a totalitarian state in which people no longer have freedoms. Ultimately, the state determines all the details of your life. But these views hardly appear on the NOS news.
What I can't stand and hate to see is how much injustice is done to ordinary people in our time. How the governments do not carry out their God-given assignment of care and protection of citizens, but on the contrary inflict injustice on their citizens in every possible way. Occasionally something comes up here, as recently with the so-called 'Twitter files' or the Results from WOB requests. But it seems that nothing and no one can stop them.
At the moment I don't have much courage to say much about the terrible time to come, but recently I noticed a few things in the Bible. I would like to share one of them in this article.
The great multitude that no one can number
The book of Revelation is a difficult book to understand. A while ago I searched on Amazon for “Understanding the book of Revelation” and then I was presented with a very long line of books! Amazing how many different interpretations there seem to be, none of which I had read yet.
A book you can't get on Amazon is "The Revelation" by J.Ph.Buddingh (see here). The idea that emerges is that Revelation 6-19 is not a continuous story over time, but that we should read it as four accounts of the same period. Just like the four Gospels describe the same period, only from a different perspective. In addition, Buddingh connects the four descriptions in Revelation with the four Gospels.
Disclaimer: Buddingh's book is not an easy book to read. So be warned. Personally, I see it more as a challenge to rethink Revelation. When we get time, opportunity and insight, we will go into that some more.
The first scene of what will take place here on earth relates the opening of the seven seals by the Lamb – the Lord Jesus Himself – in Revelation 6. He is the Owner, Who comes to claim His property from the hand of satan. This scene gives us – so to speak – the main line of events. Without all kinds of details; they are communicated in the following scenes. It is a time when death and destruction come upon the earth to an extent never seen before.
But God's goodness and mercy becomes clear in chapter 7. He is “a God of salvation” (Psalm 68:20 KJV) and has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). In this chapter we see that God still has the salvation of two groups of people in mind - and therefore the entire world population:
- One group is Israel, the "144,000 sealed out of all the tribes of Israel" (Revelation 7:4). This is in harmony with God's promise to Israel that "all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:25-27)
- The second group is "a great multitude, which no man could number" (Revelation 7:9). These are the people – non-Jews – from all nations who do not want to submit to the 'nice story' and the authority of the world ruler, the antichrist. They will believe the everlasting gospel proclaimed by the angel (Revelation 14:6,7) and will "make their robes white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). Their choice of God's offer means their salvation, but it also seals their own death: they are "slaughtered" because they have accepted and borne witness to the Word of God (Revelation 6:9-11)
The salvation of this great multitude prompts the worship of God by all who stand in heaven around the throne (Revelation 7:11,12)
Amen.
The Praise,
the glory,
the wisdom,
the thanksgiving,
the honor,
the power and
the strength
belongs to our God
to all eternity.
Amen
Wappies and conspiracy theorists – a counter-movement
I don't know if you have a little insight into the polarization and division in society. This has become especially clear with the corona misery. Very simply put, on the one hand there are people who follow and believe the story of the government and the media and on the other hand people who do not believe this and fear that with everything that is happening we will step by step into an unwanted totalitarian society. The latter are often referred to in the media as 'wappies' or 'conspiracy theorists' or even sometimes referred to as enemies by other terms. This is how they are often seen as confirmed in the 'Twitter files' and 'WOB documents' mentioned above.
Much could be said about this countermovement, but we are not going to. Just a few things that might be of interest. The countermovement…
- … is a relatively small part of the population in terms of size. The masses accept – tacitly or not – that the government is pursuing a globalist agenda, ultimately taking away civil liberties.
- … consists of people from all walks of life and segments of society
- … is not limited to the Netherlands or a few European countries, but this counter-movement can be found all over the world.
We need to do a thought experiment now; i hope you can follow it.
Now imagine that very soon – so this or next week – the Lord Jesus will come to collect His church to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Then all born-again Christians will be gone from the earth and the Holy Spirit will no longer dwell in people on earth. After that, according to the Bible, the lawlessness and deceit on earth will get worse (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).
But then in the world there is still that group of people of the counter-movement. While the circumstances they now worry about only get worse; they can't stop it no matter how hard they try. Just read Revelation 6.
What I find so great is that God's love still goes out to people; even though He must judge and put an end to lawlessness and the dominion of Satan. He sends an angel high in heaven with the everlasting gospel, as we have seen before. Two other angels accompany him, announcing the end of the diabolical world system Babylon and warning the people not to worship the image of the beast—the antichrist (Revelation 14:6-10).
Many – the counter thinkers who then do not believe the lies they are told – will happily see what God's truth is. They repent at the call: “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him Who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:7).
As a result, they will be killed. It is there three times, with different words: "slaughtered," "killed," and "beheaded" (Revelation 6:9; 13:15; 20:4).
The people who believe the Word of God, repent and believe that the Lord Jesus also shed His blood for the remission of their sins are 'a great multitude that no man can number'. They are those who have not bowed down to the image of the beast and have not accepted the mark. They are the counter thinkers in that terrible time to come. They pay for it with a horrible death.
But how great will be their reward! You can read about this, among other things:
- “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palms in their hands. And they cried out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!
(…) These are they who come out of the great tribulation; and they have washed their robes, and they have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He Who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them.
They will not be hungry or thirsty, and no sunstroke or any heat will touch them. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will lead them to springs of living waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-10, 14-17) - “And they lived and reigned with Christ as kings, for a thousand years. . . . they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4-6)
Truth stumbles in the street
Dichotomy is deeply related to the question of truth. In that respect, the term 'dichotomy' is rather disguising, because you can talk about it and do all kinds of research into it, but if it is not about law and truth then you will not get any further.
Isaiah 59 is a chapter that deals with the people of Israel, but it contains principles that are also applicable to the Western Christian world that has lost God.
"Therefore justice has turned back, and justice stands afar off. For truth has stumbled in the street, and what is right cannot come in. Yea, truth is wanting, and he who turns away from evil is deprived." Isaiah 59:14-15
When justice is gone, there is no more truth. Or at least, she may be there, but she has stumbled and no one is able to get her back on her feet. And so long as it remains so and the truth is not acknowledged, justice cannot be restored: "What is right cannot enter."
The consequence of such a situation is also that the person who makes a personal choice to 'turn away from evil' is deprived. The first thing you are robbed of is your freedom of expression: you are no longer allowed to name what is a lie or injustice.
And so everything remains the same; a situation beyond repair and only getting worse…until Christ Himself comes to judge.
As you read through Isaiah 59 you will see that when there is no hope of restoration the Lord - that is Christ - Himself comes to repay and exact vengeance. To those who repent He comes as the Savior. In the next chapter, the restoration of the people of Israel in Christ's kingdom is discussed, but also the blessing that this entails for the Gentiles.
We are not going to demonstrate with the opponents or oppose the government. But we can point them to the hopelessness of their struggle and to Jesus Christ, who died for sinners to bring them to God. Calling them to turn to God and accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord. So that they are spared from the coming wrath.
Perhaps it would be an idea to make a leaflet to hand out in conversations with opponents?
"The Gospel for Wappies and Conspiracy Thinkers", would that be something?
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