Revelation 22:11, 12 – “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”
These are the words of God from the last chapter in the Bible. When you read these verses, you can sense how much freedom God has given to every human being in this world. God has given in the entire Bible everything a human being has to know and follow. God is not putting any physical pressure on anyone to follow what he has said. The entire Bible is giving all the information we need on a daily basis: who is God, how God created the humans, all the living things and all the necessary elements of the earth and the sky, how Satan tempted the first parents, what consequences they suffered, how God Himself chose and guided His chosen people throughout their journey, what commandments God gave us to follow, how God spoke through His chosen prophets and empowered them, how God redeemed the humanity through the crucifixion of His only Son, Jesus, who came down from heaven, how God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell among us after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, how the Holy Spirit is still working miracles in the lives of people just like Jesus did, what are the right things to do and the wrong things not to do as informed by God Himself through His Son, Jesus, the prophets, and the disciples of Jesus, the signs of the end times, which we are seeing currently, the rule of the antichrist and the worship of the beast which will happen soon, the coming of Jesus Christ on the clouds to gather His elect ones, the punishment for the antichrist, the false prophet and Satan, the righteous rule of Jesus on this earth for one thousand years, and the Last Judgment which will send us either to the eternal life with God or to eternal life in hell.
After doing and saying everything for us as said in the Bible, God has no more responsibility to force anyone to come to the path of God. God desires about everyone to enjoy the eternal life with Him in heaven. When we go astray and fall in hell, it is very painful to God to see us perishing and suffering in hell. It seems like the humans are so indifferent to the mental pain God has to go through because of our wickedness. It is because of the lack of knowledge about God. Just imagine how much the parents will suffer if a son or daughter goes astray and gets perished. The son or daughter may not realize that pain. God has given me the gift to know His mind so well that I am dedicating myself to God by preaching His gospel as much as I can as per what Jesus had told His disciples to do. God is losing His hope on this generation and almost giving up on them when he says, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy;”( Revelation 22:11). Still God has hope about a small remnant of the people, and he says, “and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy”( Revelation 22:11). The righteous and the holy people should keep on being righteous and holy as God is coming soon with His reward. Sometimes people have the tendency to justify their wickedness saying that there are so many other people who are wicked and going fine with their lives. The answer is,
“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”( 2nd Peter 3:9). If the wicked are living fine with no problem, it is because of the mercy of God.
Recently a man above seventy years told me that he stopped going to church a few years ago as he did not like the way the priest was. I told him that we are supposed to go to church not to do anything with the priest, but to worship God. He criticized God and the priests a lot. He has never read the Bible even once. I advised him not to talk about God or criticize God until he reads the whole Bible. Our last judgment is based on our relationship with God, not on our relationship with priests. Priests have positions, but they are human beings like us, who will stand at the last judgment just like us.
The coming apostasy
Currently we are noticing that the world is going through the exact situation described in the following verses. Violence and lawlessness has increased all over the world. People are losing faith in God. Satan worship has increased all over the world. “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these” (2nd Timothy 3:1-5).
Signs of the end times
The following are some of the signs of the end times.
1)Several people will come in the world saying, “I am the Messiah.” (Matthew 24:23, Mark 13:6, Luke 21:8)
More than nineteen people have come into the world saying, “I am the Messiah.”
2) Unmanageable earthquakes and famine will take place in several parts of the world.
Famines and earthquakes are taking place in several countries. (Mark 13:8, Luke 21:9)
3) Christians will be hated and killed because of the name of Jesus. (Matthew 24:9, Luke 21:17)
In several countries the Christians are persecuted and killed for believing in Jesus and for preaching the gospel.
4) “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will get cold” (Matthew 24:12). In several parts of the world, people are breaking the law and order and attacking innocent people.
5)”You will be hearing of wars and rumors of war.” (Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, Luke 21:9)
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Mark 13:8, Matthew 24:7)
Actual wars are happening in the world. The Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine/Russia wars have been happening for a while. A third world war is possible. Racism and hate crimes have increased.
6) People will be betrayed and put to death by their parents, brothers, relatives, children, and friends to death. (Mark 13:12, Luke 21:16)
God’s wrath against mankind
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world is invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:18 – 22).
What is the solution?
2nd Peter 3:14 – “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless …”
Joel 1:14 – “Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”
Joel 2:12, 13 – “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments. Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness and relenting of evil.
Jesus will appear in the sky after a period of tribulation.
It is clear that there will be a big tribulation before the coming of Jesus on the clouds.
Matthew 24:29-31 – “But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heaven will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the sour winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Joel 1:15 – “Alas for the day ! For the day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.”
Joel 2:11- “For great is the day of the Lord, and exceedingly terrible; who can bear it?”
Joel 2:31 – “The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”
The antichrist and the coming of Jesus
About the timing of the coming of Jesus on the clouds, it is said, “For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed …” (2nd Thessalonians: 2:3). Jesus will come in the clouds during the end of the seven years rule of the antichrist, which is the time of apostasy. Jesus will destroy him.
“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming”( 2nd Thessalonians 2: 8).
God’s righteous rule on the Earth for 1000 years
God’s righteous rule on the earth is in Zion for a thousand years, and it is described in several chapters of the Bible, especially in Revelation chapter 21. It is called the New Heaven and the New Earth. Satan will be bound by God during those one thousand years so that the Holy Spirit can easily come into the lives of people.
The Outpouring of God’s Spirit
The Holy Spirit will anoint the remaining people of God by filling them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The timing of this is not clear, but it is possible to happen during the time of the one thousand years of God’s righteous rule on the earth. God said, “ But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord” (Zephaniah 3:12). “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (Joel 2: 28).
Our life on this earth will be over with the Last Judgment, when we receive either eternal heaven on eternal hell. Les us all answer these two questions. Do you want to continue to do wrong and stay filthy? Do you want to practice righteousness and keep yourself holy?
Cicily Sunny, Ma., B.Ed., MSE
