Question #1:
Hi Bob,
I did get to Florida. I was actually off work for quite a while this
time. After spending a week in Florida, I visited __ in New Mexico (also
for about a week). I was wearing shorts in Florida, and then at least
two layers top and bottom when at an elevation of ~7,000 feet in New
Mexico. That was quite a shift. It'll be in the teens tonight (and even
colder with wind chill), and that is down here in the south! Where __ is
in Wisconsin is quite a bit colder.
[omitted discussion of communication options]
I will be upfront that it is unlikely that we will shift to some of the
more extreme open-source and privacy-focused alternatives due to the
simple fact that not everybody is tech-savvy enough to make these tools
a great choice. Personally, while I've pondered the idea of encrypted
communications and so on as it relates to the antichrist's oppression of
believers, I am not all that convinced that spending time trying to be
completely untraceable will really work when that time comes. Completely
effective OpSec is ridiculously difficult for a number of reasons, but
even more than that, we may well get ratted out by (so-called) friends
and family anyhow. Perhaps that sounds a bit fatalistic, but basically,
I don't think any time spent here nor complex procedures will ultimately
save us if it is to the sword we shall go. I guess being a bit well-read
on some of the privacy matters might make it somewhat easier to
communicate without being compromised under the beast's oppression
(similar to how many people around the world even today use such tools
to avoid the censorship and snooping of their oppressive governments),
but moderation in all things, right?
I hope your holidays were relaxing and productive. I got some things
done and relaxed some, and have determined to let that be that and look
at it no further. We can always do more...until we can't.
I appreciate your prayers!
Your friend in Christ,
Response #1:
My stepson lives in Gallup and the high desert really is different. Even when
it's hot out during the day, it can be freezing at night.
Yes, I agree with your take on this completely. Perhaps a computer wizard like
yourself might be able to evade and stay invisible during what's coming, but as
you say, there are plenty of ways we wouldn't be able to avoid being "caught",
even with a lot of tech sophistication. In any case, I think for believers the
entire "secret squirrel" approach to the persecution coming during the
Tribulation is a mistake. It's just a high-tech variant of putting lots of
canned goods and ammunition in the basement. We don't do stupid things, but we
are not counting on our own abilities or cleverness to keep us safe. If the Lord
has marked us out for martyrdom, do we really want to adopt the mindset of
avoiding that at all costs? We're not willing to take the mark of the beast
(obviously); we need to be willing to endure whatever it is our Lord has us
slated to endure – and to do so courageously to His glory. Here's an important
pair of links on this:
A Brief Christian "Code of Conduct" for the Great Persecution
A Tribulational Code of Conduct
I got sick towards the end of break and so had a bumpy start. Back in the mix
now, but now the weather is freezing (sub-freezing, actually). No cancellations
at school either (though Friday promises to be brutal with freezing rain turning
into snow, falling to the teens with 20-30 gusting, so you never know).
I'll be on the lookout for the questions (and I have __in my prayers – and you
too, of course).
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #2:
Hi Bob,
Thank you for this - it's so helpful.
I read your email early this morning. As I read the verses you gave to
me the Spirit was speaking to me. He speaks in a still, small voice but
every word I read was coming through loud and clear. The Spirit has been
bringing some things about the situation with __ to my attention and
your email just said it all. __ has never listened to anything I've
tried to say about the truth, but is holding on tight to the false
teaching __ believes to be true and if anything has gotten deeper into
it and in my view is leading others down a wrong path. It's a path that
doesn't bring believers closer to the Lord or to spiritual growth, but
as I see it, further away from the Lord with zero spiritual growth. It's
been nagging at me for a while now. Everything you said about the
church-goers is right. And it's so obvious to me that the type of church
__ attends and works for could so very easily be deceived by the
antichrist.
The truth is divisive and although __ would love me to believe what __
believes, I never will. And so far, I can't see __ budging at all in __
beliefs. I'm still praying but I think what I'm trying to say is that as
sad as it is, we also need to be very aware that friends and family
might not end up making the same decision for the truth as we have. It's
all there in scripture too.
Great to hear you're making progress on Hebrews chapter 5. Looking
forward to it whenever it's ready.
Very busy day at work today (they all are!)
Thanks so much for all your prayers. Keeping you and yours in mine too.
Have a lovely weekend, Bob!
In Jesus
Response #2:
Good to hear it. This is a pretty common situation today, especially
regarding people we know and have known, and who know and have known us.
The amount of zeal for the truth out there in the entire world today is
not great. That can be seen from the lack of supply of in-depth Bible
teaching. Because if Christians generally were eager for it, they would
"beat a path to that door" (to paraphrase Burns), especially in our day
and age where doing so would not require pulling up stakes and moving
half way around the world (you just have to go online). But it's not
happening.
Absolutely the most shocking – and illuminating – thing that's happened
in recent times is the drop off in interest in the truth since the
"pandemic". I would have thought before it happened – and did think at
the time – that, surely, something like this would shake many lukewarm
Christians into a more zealous attitude. Instead, it seems to have
pushed many "on the fence" types that one hoped were zealous or getting
closer to warming up, back into lukewarmness. Not a good "omen" for the
Tribulation; an indication, rather, that those who do get fired up once
things begin may be fewer than hoped, especially in the early going.
People who love this world make their peace with it; people who hate it
are driven to find something better – and there is only one "something",
one Someone who is better. The latter explains us; the former, the vast
majority of the church-visible. Still, the pressures of the Tribulation
will be so intense that it is possible that we will see some surprises
from the former camp; our job is to make absolutely sure that in our
"latter" case, no matter what may happen we will stay faithful to the
end.
Thanks so much for the prayers! And good to hear that work went well for
you too. Very good teaching week here. Students are getting tired, but
I'm just hitting my stride. So glad that it's Friday, however!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #3:
Hi Bob,
I hope you've had a good weekend. It's been a tough and tiring one here
for me. I'm going through another test with very close family (been
going on for a while now) where I need the Lord's help and deliverance.
It could take a few months. I'm sorry to have so much I need prayer for
but I appreciate it so much. Putting my complete trust in the Lord again
to work it all out and get me through.
Thanks again, Bob. Keeping you in my prayers too.
In Jesus
Response #3:
It was a pretty good one, all said and done (still have the Bible
session to push through tonight, but then it's over). Our personnel
committee chair took it upon himself to do the rush through merit case
needing to be completed before our new chair starts Monday, so all the
rest of us had to do was read and edit and sign. One more "big thing" on
that committee this fall, and then we're done until after the new year.
Air conditioning problems ate up Thursday but it's working without a
complete overhaul or new system. Good exercise this morning and the
weather is super. Trying to keep on a more stringent diet. It's Yom
Kippur today . . . meaning three years left. So I'm trying to take
things up a notch on all fronts. Plenty of opposition to that all ready.
Sound like you're getting that too. I am keeping you and your family in
prayer daily, my friend. Hang in there – you're an inspiration!
"Putting my complete trust in the Lord again to work it all out and
get me through." Amen! That is what we all need to keep on doing.
Wishing you a better week and following weekend ahead, my friend.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #4:
Thanks Bob! Lots of good news there.
I was going to ask how your exercise was going and whether the injuries were
behaving themselves. The weather was lovely today. I keep planning on walking
back home as well (it's all uphill) but so far __ has been giving me a lift
home. I'm going to be good and tackle the monster hill tomorrow - it's good for
me! And I need to get back to my sit-ups, dumbbells etc.
Definitely getting the opposition coming my way ... but ... can't quite believe
it (although I do) I actually had a bit of a breakthrough today with the family
thing I mentioned to you yesterday. That was quick! Thank you so much for your
prayers, Bob. Still a way to go but a good start. I'm hanging in there!
I didn't realise it was Yom Kippur yesterday. I'm joining you in taking things
up a notch - no matter how busy I am or what the opposition is. I agree with you
about the drop off in interest in the truth since the pandemic - but I don't
quite understand why.
And you wrote, "Our job is to make absolutely sure that in our "latter" case, no
matter what may happen we will stay faithful to the end". That's the part I'm
remembering.
Keeping you in my prayers, Bob!
In Jesus
Response #4:
Great news! We'll keep praying.
Glad to hear that you are hanging in with the exercise. I'm attempting to do the
same since the mechanics are working OK at present. Really need to lose weight,
and I'm finally getting serious about that as well.
Monday out of the way. Not as stellar as last week. Students are a bit tired
with fall in the air. And were in the wrong time zone here in L-ville. It's
still mostly dark at 8 AM! And the change is another five weeks away! It's be
dark at 9 AM by they time they shift it back. One of my older students told me
that the reason why north in Indianapolis is central and south in Nashville is
central but Louisville is eastern zone is because of General Electric: they have
a hub in Cincinnati and lobbied the city fathers to be in the same zone here for
that reason. That company is a shell of its former self but we are stuck with
it. Oh well. At least it's still light at 9 PM . . . when I'm thinking of going
to sleep.
Keep hanging in there! And I'll do the same.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #5:
Hi Bob,
I got my two walks in today. There and back - up the monster hill! I
think diet and exercise takes some real focus to start with. But then
it's great when you start feeling the benefits. It helps to give you the
incentive to keep going with it. We'll stick with it, Bob! Christmas
will be here before you know it and we'll all be scoffing too much!
That's amazing it still being pretty much dark at 8 AM! I can understand
why your students are feeling tired. It's dark now when I get up for
work in the morning and it's definitely more of a challenge. I woke up
one morning last week and I thought it must have been about 3 AM. I
turned over to go back to sleep but then my alarm went off. That wasn't
much fun!
It's a strange feeling isn't it Bob, when those around you are thinking
ahead and making "plans" for the future and we're preparing for
something completely different. Something they have absolutely no clue
about. I've always felt it but the past few weeks I've felt it more. I
have to be involved when it's close family but then I'm a bit torn
because I know that ultimately it's all a waste of time, it's
meaningless. So although I can't escape from it completely, at the same
time I have to make sure I'm doing what's really important. Preparing
for what I know is really coming in the future. It's just a bit weird. I
support them because I love them but it's actually not that easy to
travel along with their "plans" too. It's because we don't belong here.
This isn't our home. But I know the Lord will give me the strength to
get through, to be a good witness and to glorify Him too.
I'm so very grateful for your prayers, Bob. Praying for you and yours
too.
In Jesus
Response #5:
That's super! Good for you! I'm trying to stick with it (teaching days
are the toughest).
Yes indeed. The more we grow, the closer to the Lord we get and the
farther away from the world we are – and feel. But we keep doing what we
are supposed to do, even though a lot of it is not going to endure for
much longer. And of course nothing whatsoever lasts very long (link: in
SR 4, "The
Vanity of Life").
Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: he bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
Psalm 39:6 NIV
Still, we are working for the Lord in whatever we do.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
Colossians 3:23 NKJV
Knowing we have a better home and a better body, "eternal in the heavens" (2Cor.5:1) is encouraging and clarifying. So we strive to be pleasing to the Lord here or there (2Cor.5:9). In one sense, nothing done here really matters; but in another, everything we do as believers DOES matter . . . very much.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
2nd Corinthians 5:10 NIV
Praying for more breakthroughs!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #6:
I read through a link you posted titled
"Is it ever justifiable to
tell a lie (part 2 link)? and saw how similar that topic was to a
discussion I was having with one of our brothers the night before I read
that. I'm not sure how much different this question is to the one asked
in that thread, but we couldn't come up with an answer on this.
I read a true story in a book where a daughter was being tortured in
front of her father. The father was told that if he denied his faith,
they would stop tormenting his daughter and would let them both go free.
His daughter cried out to her father begging him not to do such a
cowardly thing as she described it. He didn't give in to his captors
demands.
Now, I saw what you said concerning Rahab doing the right thing in the
situation she was in. Of course it was the right thing for her to do!
But what about people who lie about their faith in order to save a
family member? As in, they tell their torturers they deny their faith
(only by words) but in their heart they don't mean it? Their motivation
is to save their loved one. Would such an action be sinful and is that
even possible to begin with? I do think these types of things have
happened before, so I don't see this as purely hypothetical. I guess the
gist of my question is, would it be legalistic to say that someone who
did something like this has sinned even if they still held onto their
faith in their heart? Of course, such a move could still backfire on the
individual when the captors lied and still end up torturing or killing
them anyway.
Response #6:
Of course, as believers, we would dearly love always to tell the truth, and that is our "default setting" or should be.
Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor” (Zech.8:16), for we are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:25 NKJV
For the rare exception, consider the example of the Jewish midwives who,
technically, lied to Pharaoh. They lied to a vile unbelievers in order
to protect innocent lives. But what they lied about was not God or their
relationship to Him.
Lying about our faith or saying anything untrue about the Lord is
substantively and critically different from any of the biblical examples
of "righteous deception" one might adduce.
We should never ever even consider denying the Lord or our faith in Him.
Swearing allegiance to antichrist "with fingers crossed" would be even
worse, in my opinion. None of us is perfect. Peter denied the Lord three
times but he repented of it . . . which makes it very clear that he was
wrong to claim he didn't know or follow Jesus Christ, just to protect
his own life.
Our faith and our life eternal is more important than our physical
lives. It seems to be a commonplace nowadays to posit a situation where
in order to protect those we love we are put in the sort of situation
you ask about. I know of no such situation in the Bible. I also think
that it is a trap and a snare to be worrying about impossible
situations. This leads to no good but can be disruptive to peace and
faith – or lead to dangerous false conclusions. As I often say, there
are no hypotheticals in the plan of God, only what actually happened.
And, God being who He is, we can have absolute faith and confidence that
He will never put us into any situation we cannot in truth bear up under
(1Cor.10:13).
As to the story you relate, I wasn't there so I don't know if it really
every happened, but I would have my doubts for many reasons (see the
link: "third
party reports"). If I were to play this game, I would say that it
would be permissible to lie to such people – but not about faith and not
about the Lord. One could say, I suppose, that one has a relative who is
ex-CIA who will devote his life to destroying these people if they
persist; or that one has a stash of gold coins that one will hand over
if they cease and desist (cf. the ten men who saved themselves from
Ishmael son of Nethaniah: Jer.41:8) – or anything else that suggests
itself if such an impossible situation were to occur. But we don't want
to do the WRONG thing (especially, as you very rightly point out, we
can't count on evil people to honor their worthless word in any case).
After all, nothing is impossible for God, and that is what we should be
concentrating on in any time of trouble and pressure.
"Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"
Matthew 26:53 NIV
Do you not think that God could cause fire to proceed from heaven and destroy people like this, if that is what we actually needed at such a time?
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."
Matthew 21:21 NIV
We have God the Holy Spirit indwelling us – and we should be walking hand in hand with Jesus Christ. He loves us and will never leave us in the lurch – even if all manner of horrible things are happening all around us during the Tribulation.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #7:
Your answers were helpful and I agree with them but I need to sort a few things
out. To clarify, I was only asking you about this type of situation because I
was leaning toward the truth that we should never lie about our faith. But
someone dubbed that as possibly legalistic, and I just wanted to make sure I
wasn't being legalistic. I never concluded my thoughts on this matter, however,
which is why I asked you. However, are you saying that it is impossible to deny
Christ in word but not in heart? Is that what you mean by an "impossible"
situation? As in, you can't have one without the other because they both go hand
in hand? If you deny with words, then you deny in your heart. Was this the case
with Peter in that he did both? What exactly do you mean by "impossible
situations?"
Regarding the story, it doesn't have much to do with this discussion simply
because the man never lied about his faith (he never denied it either) and chose
martyrdom instead. I can't remember whether they killed him or not. I'm of the
opinion that the story is true. However, I only brought it up because that is
what started this discussion me and our brother had originally. It's actually
unrelated to what I asked because it describes a different situation than what I
asked you about. It was at this point that the hypothetical "what if he had done
this or that" came up. Our discussion went from there. So I was letting you in
on how this all started. We weren't sure if it is even possible to lie about
one's faith (saying one thing by mouth but not meaning it in the heart). That's
where my question stems from.
Response #7:
My pleasure.
By "impossible situations", I mean that it is very easy for anyone with
any sort of imagination to concoct some scenario which would seem to
thwart whatever present thinking a person has about hypothetical
testing. God gives us tests and He gives us the way through; He knows
what we personally can handle and what we cannot; so we will never be in
any "impossible situation" . . . as long as we are walking closely with
the Lord.
Legalism is terrible. But refusing to deny Christ is not legalism. I
think we can stipulate that when the Lord told Peter that he would deny
Him three times, Jesus was not giving him carte blanche to do so but was
instead warning him. So what Peter did was wrong. But Peter did just
what you are asking about, it seems to me – because he was worried about
getting arrested and maybe crucified himself. That was a valid concern –
but what he did about it was dead wrong. He should have trusted God to
protect him in that situation instead . . . and he clearly regretted
immediately that he had not done so and had lied instead.
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:60-62 NKJV
Certain things are fundamental: faith in Christ is the bedrock of our lives. There is a difference on the one hand between button-holing everyone who comes within our ambit to proclaim our faith, and on the other denying it outright when asked about it. Why would we do that anyway? No "impossible situation" that I can think of justifies such a thing, including the one reported. Denying Jesus Christ is exactly what Christians will be pressured to do during the Tribulation, and accepting the mark of the beast will be the tangible sign that they have done so. Scripture is very clear that doing this is apostasy – the death of faith. Makes sense. Denying Christ with one's mouth is impossible to do without also doing it in one's heart:
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10 NKJV
Now I would never sell short the mercy and the grace of God or His capacity for forgiveness. There is a difference between what Peter (and the others: cf. Lk.22:31-32 where the verbs in v.31 are plural) did and what Judas did. But scripture is very clear about what happens to those who give allegiance to antichrist, denying Jesus by what they say and what they do:
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV
So it seems that in the critical case above, the speaking and the doing absolutely must reflect what has gone on in their hearts. Since in this soon-to-come analogous situation there seems to be no divergence of the kind hypothesized, I think it better to stick with the principle of "don't go near that and don't even think about that".
[But in contrast to those who receive the mark of the beast and worship him], the saints have perseverance, [even] those who in this way (i.e., by refusing to receive the mark or worship the beast) keep God's commandments and [retain] their faith in Jesus (viz., even though it may cost them their lives).
Revelation 14:12
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Revelation 12:11 NKJV
So as to possibilities, you have a point – but from my perspective that point is that by denying Christ with one's mouth a person therefore brings it about to deny Him in his heart as well.
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
1st Corinthians 12:3 NKJV
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #8:
[omitted]
Response #8:
Thanks for the update.
I'll be praying for you to find something good that suits you – which I
understand is not at all easy in this economy.
I certainly wish that there was a face to face Bible teaching church "track" for
you fellows who are preparing to be pastor-teachers, but that only happens in
denominations, and getting involved with one of those never amounts to anything
good.
The Lord will work it out for good, though. Just keep on doing the good things
you are doing, my friend.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #9:
I just wanted to share with you something else that I have been led to
recently. I was trying to help __ to socialise and get out more. The
only thing really going on in the locality at the moment for seniors/
retired folk is something called the 'University of the 3rd Age' or
'u3a'. Have you heard of it? To be honest I always had misgivings of
that title and always thought it smacked of 'New Age' talk. I thought I
was being legalistic about this though so was looking into it but the
Lord has shown me I was right to be cautious. To cut a long story short,
it's actually a Freemasonic front to get elderly people into the New Age
(all their AGMs are in Masonic halls and are used as recruitment drives
into Freemasonry). I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by this given
how late in the day we are (and have you ever known Satan to care about
the elderly and vulnerable?) I thought it was too good to be true, all
these people wanting to help struggling old folk, yes it is too good to
be true.
The Lord has shown me that the word 'Om' which is a 'sacred sound in
Hinduism' looks a lot like the characters 'u3a' when written in
Devanagari script (it is also interesting that the word 'Om' in Tamil
script is of a skull blinded in one eye.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om
I am sure that this logo for U3A will look more and more like 'Om' as
time progresses.
So where am I going with all this. Well the two main 'hobbies' that are
pushed through the U3A are Yoga and something called Kundalini Laughter
(sometimes known as laughter yoga or laughter exercises.) We all know
the ubiquitousness of Yoga in the West now and (hopefully) know that it
isn't exercise at all but a spiritual practice to 'yoke' (the word Yoga
means to yoke) with Hindu deities/ demons.
What I wanted to draw your attention to is the 'Kundalini Laughter'.
This is referred to as 'Holy Laughter' in the Charismatic and
Pentecostal churches and accompanies all those other demonic
manifestations of being 'slain in the spirit', 'drunk in the spirit'
etc. Indeed it was your ministry that led me to the documentary 'Kundalini
Warning' that shows that all these things that are part of Charismania
are also present in pagan cults and Eastern religions.
I watched a talk last night debunking 'Holy Laughter' called 'Holy
Laughter or Strong Delusion' by Warren Smith (an ex-New Ager.) He gave
15(!!) arguments why none of this is Biblical at all. The most shocking
evidence of all is that if you look at a Bible concordance and look up
the word 'laughter', most of the references are pejorative towards
laughter and not commendable or celebratory of laughter at all. See Eccl
2:2, 7:3, 7:4, 7:6, Prov 14:13, Jas 4:9
The promoters know this and that is why they have repackaged it and said
it is 'joy from the Lord' instead. They realise that laughter has many
bad connotations in the Word (i.e. mockery, derision, scorn and revelry)
but there are not these connotations with joy so they have claimed that
is what they are doing. When we walk closely with the Lord, we come to
know this joy as being of a part to that quiet inward peace and
confidence in our Lord. Yes at times this joy may be outwardly shown as
a loud gladness and rejoicing in the Lord but it is never like this
rolling around with shrieks and cackles.
Another interesting point to note is that Buddha is always depicted as
laughing hysterically (much like that emoji of a face laughing until it
is crying.) We know from experience that when people laugh hysterically
then it is usually at something sinful (indeed most that passes as
humour in the secular world is based around sinful jokes or behaviour.)
Not saying this to be legalistic or to say that there can be no levity
in our lives but that we should be cautious about these things. If we
laugh so much that it is hard for others to tell whether we are drunk or
sober then this should give us some pause.
I just wanted to close with some research I have found of the effects
this Kundalini has on people (either yoga or laughter). The article
states that a Kundalini Awakening usually is indistinguishable from
psychosis.
That the symptoms of it are;
• energy sensations moving in body (sometimes visable)
• shaking, jerking and spasms
• spontaneously involuntary adoption of yoga poses
• sensations of intense cold or heat
• loud rumbling sounds or musical harmonies
• sensory overload
• seeing reality differently (similar to psychotropic drug use)
• speaking in tongues or other involuntary vocalisations
• intense waves of bliss and bodily pleasure
I really do feel that this (Kundalini awakening/ serpent power) will be
a huge part of the Antichrist's religious system as once you know about
this then you see the preparation for us to accept these practices are
everywhere now. Even, sadly, in social groups for the elderly and
vulnerable (I saw laughter yoga advertised for people who suffered with
anxiety and social isolation.)
The enemy and his followers are really doubling down because a) he knows
his time is short b) his followers know that their leader (the
Antichrist) is soon to be revealed on the world stage.
We need to double down too with our Bible study, spiritual growth,
passing tests and production!
Your friend in Jesus,
p.s. also worth noting what the Bible says about how we will be when we
meet out Lord (not before)
Luke 6:21b
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
Luke 6:25b
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
Response #9:
On U3A, I've never heard of that but new-age terminology is ever in
flux. I have heard of the Kundalini thing (it's been around a while).
You do a good job nailing down the key points and exposing these thing
for what they are as always. It is certainly true that antichrist's
religion will make use of all such things – and co-opt traditional
"religion" as well, no doubt dressing it up with such things as your
report (here's a link on that).
On the advice, let me point out that the ministry you are setting up for
is focused on believers who are recovering from deception, yes? If an
unbeliever is involved in such stuff, no amount of common sense or
reasoning will likely do anything more than direct him/her from one
pointless activity to another . . . because it's all pointless down here
apart from Jesus Christ. Including an evangelism element in any "for
believers" ministry is always a good thing – since occasionally
unbelievers will "show up" (e.g., 1Cor.14:23-25).
So, honestly, I don't know what good can come of explaining to
unbelievers that demons are real and dangerous, e.g. Unbelievers need
the gospel, when and if they are willing to accept it. Without any real
interest in the truth, all such good advice and well-meant warnings are
likely to be trampled under foot – and I fear for you lest you be
trampled with them (Matt.7:6).
Keeping you in prayer on all this, my friend.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #10:
Thanks Bob,
About your Coming Tribulation series and the Antichrist Vs the Muslim
Mahdi...I can see how this all fits together now.
I couldn't understand before how the enemy could use both the weapons of
LGBTQ and Islam at the same time as they do cancel one another out but
it has occured to me more recently as Satan only sees these two groups
of people as 'useful idiots', then he won't have any qualms about
throwing one of them 'under the bus'.
Then again after conquering and defeating Islam then he might extinguish
LGBTQ as well.
For a while now I have noticed that we're only being given one of two
options (ultimately) and that is to eventually embrace Islam or the New
Age religion (with its many tentacles.) Another bit of evidence of this
is that Hindus in India are now vocally supporting Israel. Well Hinduism
is basically an occultic religion that has already invaded the church
visible with Kundalini practices.
As the use of Kundalini in the Charismatic circles shows no sign of
abating (and given that the Emergent Church also embraces Catholic or
'Ancient Future' mysticism which is just another flavour of occultism)..
it does indicate to me that the Antichrist religion will be very
occultic and New Age though may have some 'Biblical sounding' words
thrown around.
Obviously I am not wedded to any particular outcome and am staying
vigilant but I thought that it was worth commenting that Hindus are now
being brought into the fray as friends of Israel and that should give us
pause given what they believe spiritually.
As per my last email about not getting bogged down with anything that
wastes our time here.. these two verses are good to keep us all focused
and alert on what really matters; our Lord's second advent and not to be
distracted, deceived or discouraged before He returns.
1 Thess 5:1-2
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write
to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a
thief in the night.
Luke 12:35-36
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. Then you will be
like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding
banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for
him at once.
Luke 12:45-46
But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long
time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants,
and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come
on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then
he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Chilling words to read Bob! We really do need to stay vigilant and ready
every day! Things are moving so fast now!
In Jesus,
Response #10:
I know what you mean regarding wondering about the spiritual status of
individuals who are in old line denominations such as the C of E and
Episcopalians. Some good people often, but are they saved?
Good observations here. I have opined, as you note, that the beast's religion
will attempt to be all things to all people, highly eclectic, only rejecting
true, biblical Christianity as an option (link
to list of links). As long as people are willing to worship antichrist (and
the devil), it seems likely to me from what scripture does say about these
matters that pretty much everything else will be "go". That makes sense too
considering that religion is Satan's invention; all religion is hostile to the
truth of Jesus Christ, hence by definition friendly to the evil one. This is why
there can be no friendship between us and the world (Jas.4:4; 1Jn.2:15-17), and
that natural hostility will boil over into unprecedented persecution during the
Tribulation's second half.
Good verses to keep in mind indeed! Here's a related one to give us some
encouragement.
He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near."
Luke 21:29-31 NIV
Since we have "the script", we can take heart even from the troubling things
that are going to happen, because we can see from them that we are getting ever
closer to the return of our King.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #11:
Dear Bob,
I was doing my reading today, and I am at the book of Matthew. I have
gotten to the part in Matthew 8:21-23, where Jesus is describing a group
of people who will claim to have 'done miracles' and 'prophesied', and
yet will be turned away on the final day. I was wondering who these
people are being described?
Trying to reason this out with my own understanding, I think it is fair
to say that such people are not actually believers, but are people
merely claiming to be so? Given the context of the rest of Chapter 7,
Jesus is describing knowing people by their fruits. So, am I correct in
concluding that these are deceivers, who try to lead God's people
astray?
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Response #11:
Good to hear from you, my friend. Hope you are doing well.
Here's a link to where I treat this passage:
https://ichthys.com/mail-Golden-Rule.htm#Matthew 7:21-23
In a nutshell, I agree with you. While it is, I suppose, possible to suggest
that these are apostates who once believed but then fell away, the reasoning you
supply (and see the link above) suggests very strongly that these individuals
were never believers. Did they prophecy? There are false prophets. Did they cast
out demons in Jesus' Name. The sons of Sceva pretended to do the same (Acts
19:14). Did they "do" miracles? Only God can do a miracle – but even
antichrist's false prophet will perform miraculous signs (cf. also Matt.13:22).
And of course it is also a good possibility that whatever these individuals did
was not real but deceptive – and even self-deceptive.
What I also know for certain is that what Christians sometimes worry about when
they read this passage, namely, that somehow when they are evaluated by the Lord
they will be cast out because they have committed some sin or other or otherwise
not lived up to their potential, is NOT the case. ALL believers are saved; only
unbelievers are not (Jn.3:18). Believers who haven't performed well in this life
have a legitimate reason to "fear the Lord" because of their coming big bonfire
of pointless works in this life (1Cor.3:12-15; cf. 2Cor.5:11), but they have NO
reason to doubt their salvation . . . as long as they hang onto their faith in
Christ come what may.
The latter will be more difficult than ever before during the pressures of the
Tribulation. Whatever else any lukewarm believer might get from this or any
other godly ministry or from occasionally reading scripture, they need to
remember this principle: Whatever you do,
"Do Not Take the Mark of the Beast" (link).
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #12:
[omitted]
I have had a real shock as a friend of mine from London is now running
for Mayor through a pro-Palestine party (under George Galloway). He was
always an old school Socialist but he really is in deep now. I am still
praying for him despite how deeply deceived he is. He wanted me to run
for hustings on a local level when I was last in London. So glad I never
went the political route now. In this video he is getting support from a
local Rabbi who claims 'God is on (their) side'. Considering this new
political party is very pro-Islam then I can't imagine how he can think
that.
I must say that all your study on the Mahdi is becoming more and more
relevant and on point everyday.
https://youtube.com/shorts/EAT9KsRUD20?si=QKhqFidf8DpF3th_
I wonder if my hunch will prove correct too...that Islam is the obvious
threat at the front but that Hinduism/New Age is the subtle threat from
the rear. It would make sense if the Antichrist merges all the other
religions together against Islam whilst apostate Judaism and
Christianity may also merge together under the Mahdi. This already seems
to be happening. So Satan does seem to be playing both sides. All of it
is deception and it takes knowing the Word well enough (and your
ministry) to see through it all.
In Jesus,
Response #12:
We all tell ourselves we'll get right back "into it" when we get back
from vacation or a necessary trip, but we mostly all need some resetting
first. I hope the temps moderate for you soon. It's the first really hot
and humid day of the summer here today, but we are used to it . . . and
couldn't survive without A.C. My century and a quarter year old house
has lots of windows but almost none of them open any more. They don't
have to. But if there were not air conditioning . . . Do take care of
yourself. Some can take the heat. Some can take the cold. We all have to
be careful if we're in the opposite.
If a person were going by the newspapers, it would seem that Russia,
China, NK and Iran would be the likely "evil empire" against which
antichrist crusades, with much of the rest of the world unaligned. That
is not what scripture suggests. As you know from reading CT (link),
scripture has the beast as the head of Babylon and revived Rome, the two
legs of Daniel's statue. He does battle against "the south", the
confederacy of the "three horns" which fall before the little horn,
conquering the (today) largely Muslim world in two campaigns as Israel's
putative savior, then turning on her at the Tribulation's midpoint,
taking his seat in the temple in Jerusalem as the then ruler of the
world (Rev.13:7), and commencing the Great Persecution under the
religious leadership of his false prophet.
As close as things seem to be at present (based upon the interpretation
I've advanced;
see the
link), it is hard to imagine how things could shift around in that
direction so quickly and suddenly from the international alignments we
are presently witnessing. Then again, no one predicted Covid or the
previously unbelievable reaction to it. So we shall have to wait and
see. But I do know from the Bible and from experience that impossible
things do happen.
Praying for your health and for all other good things, my friend. Thanks
for yours as well.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #13:
Hi Bob,
I have written this before that I have noticed that the subject of death
(our inevitable mortality) is often in conflict with faith. I know that
my __ really hardened his heart against God when his own __ died when
only in his twenties with a young family; it was a sudden death and a
great shock.
I suspect that when we are not spiritually prepared for death then this
can be both a stumbling block and a snare for believers and unchecked
could lead to apostasy. It would seem that not just false teaching and a
cavalier attitude towards sin contributes to a falling away from God, it
can also happen when we misjudge and accuse God's character, then the
hardening of heart can happen against God which leads to loss of faith.
Given the widespread loss of life in the Tribulation then it would be
prudent to spiritually prepare ourselves now for the time whereby men
will become..
'scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir.'
Isaiah 13:12
It is good to constantly remind ourselves that we are actually in a war
here against agents we can't even see (Ephesians 6:12) and that if Satan
had the chance, as you often point out, none of us would survive a 'New
York minute' here.
I keep having to remind myself that I am part of a spiritual army and
should act in a professional enlisted manner at all times that is
pleasing to our Lord and not to get bogged down with civilian matters
(the weeds).
My life is no longer my own. I lost my life the moment I became born
again.
If it is God's will for us to go through the Tribulation then it is
absolutely imperative that we do really know God's spotless character
and perfect and unfailing love and mercy, His greatness and holiness. We
have to have the correct attitude towards death that does not malign God
in any way or cause a stumbling block for our faith in Him and His will.
We have to remember that Satan and his cohorts use both death and
illness as a weapon forged against us but if we respond to both these
tests with faith which glorifies God, knowing full well that death was
swallowed up in victory at the Cross, then we will overcome our true
enemies and this weapon will not prosper against us (Isaiah 54:17).
I know personally that my own death is not a fear to me but I have
always (since a child) been fearful of losing those I love. This is
something we all must work on. It is absolutely imperative that we have
the right attitude towards death, knowing that 'the Lord giveth and the
Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord' Job 1:21.
That we cannot have eternal life here and so we shouldn't expect it.
Most people DO live as though death will never happen to them. There,
after all, were two parts to Satan's lie to Eve
1) You shall not die
2) You shall become as gods
So Satan promised both immortality and godhood to Eve. Many people still
vehemently believe in this two part lie. As Christians, more than anyone
else, we should know the truth about this lie and not be surprised that
people die and do not live here forever in this condemned place which is
passing away.
It is very likely that the Antichrist will offer these lies again as
truth during the Tribulation, that his followers will receive eternal
life here and become as gods.
If many people we know die before the Tribulation begins, if even a
great many die, then it is part of God's perfect plan and each person
was given perfect opportunity to be saved before their passing from this
life. I believe that God, both in His infinite wisdom and His infinite
mercy, knows who would stumble to accept Him during the Tribulation and
so they may be taken away now as the opportunities for their hearts to
soften to the truth are better for them before the Tribulation than
during. The Tribulation will be both a snare and a stumbling block for
the many. God also has the right as the Sovereign God to allow the very
hard hearted to be vessels of dishonour during that time to test and try
His vessels of honour (the Church) to His glory.
We always have to keep in the forefront of our minds and hearts that God
wants all to be saved and paid a very high price for the world's
salvation. Also though, we should not set our hearts on this place being
a permanent home for either ourselves or our loved ones but always
keeping our eyes on the Lord and the coming of the New Jerusalem, His
perfect Kingdom on earth.
Amen!
In Him,
Response #13:
Wonderful observations as always, my friend. Brings this passage to mind:
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
Isaiah 57:1-2 NIV
Death is meant to get the attention of unbelievers (see the link). How they react to it, however, depends on their own free will. How can anyone be "prepared for death"? No one wants to die (but we all do so eventually). No one wants to cease to exist (and no one will, despite satanic lies to the contrary). Being terrified of the darkness, the grave and death is just reasonable. Everyone should be and is . . . unless as an unbeliever they harden their heart against these truths or as a believer they come to trust that the Lord will take us to Himself thereafter so that there is nothing to fear: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil.1:21). But what unbelievers SHOULD indeed fear is God's judgment on them and the lake of fire which awaits all who spurn Him and His great Gift, Jesus Christ.
"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"
Luke 12:4-5 NKJV
The devil and his world system use this fear of death to manipulate mankind (see the link), so that religion is definitely the devil's main tool in falsely assuaging this fear so as to keep those who buy into his lies from drawing the correct conclusion: only the One true God has the solution to our mortality.
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Hebrews 2:14-15 NKJV
So your words are well spoken. The Tribulation with the great increase
in mortality will no doubt be a spur for many to embrace antichrist's
syncretic religion in false hope (see
the link) – and, we dearly hope, for others to see that Jesus Christ
is the only solution.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #14:
Hi Mr. Luginbill,
How are you? I hope you are well. I read the most recent email posting this
morning. I usually read them on Saturday, unless they are eschatology (as we've
emailed on, that scares me and sometimes I read it, sometimes I just don't).
I am supposed to get on a plane on Saturday to fly to __ and stay with our
friends over the summer. There is a highway and roadsigns up there with the same
number as the one pertaining to the enemy. Should this concern me? I had to
drive on that road last time we visited. Part of me thinks this is just a trap
from the enemy, as I get so terrified over it, but I don't want to do anything
wrong. This just scares me.
This issue has worried me since I was a kid and it's part of the thought war I
have to fight all the time. I'm trying to ignore and push out the wrong thoughts
when they come, and slowly parts of this fight have gotten easier and I sort of
feel like God is freeing me from some of this. I just need help.
Respectfully,
Response #14:
No, it's nothing whatsoever to worry about. It's just a number. The number in Revelation is a fail-safe code to remove any doubt about who the beast is so as not to take his mark/number, but any believer worth his or her salt will surely have figured out that antichrist is antichrist before there's any need to use that final litmus test:
[Antichrist] will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
2nd Thessalonians 2:4 NIV
The above will be hard to miss, but the six hundred sixty six test (NOT "666" in
Arabic numeral depiction which didn't exist when Revelation was written; see the
link:
Antichrist: the Mark, the Number, and the Identification of the Beast), will
take away any excuse from anyone who wants to claim ignorance as the reason they
got marked.
Re: "slowly parts of this fight have gotten easier and I sort of feel like
God is freeing me from some of this": Good for you! That's an answer to
prayer. Keep fighting this good fight.
I'll say a prayer for you about this, my friend.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #15:
Bob,
Thanks again for responding to my email…I have simplified the summary
for you attached.
First, there are a few Watchmen that have identified the Beast to be
“Prince Mohammed bin Salman” per Biblical reasons. So, I felt called to
count the number of his name.
Second, I will help you with the math..
6+6+6=18
6x3=18
8/31/1985 = .00013000731
God knows the beginning and the end, He knew the calendar would change,
so in the beginning He already knew how to count the number of his name
per Revelations 13:18 (Here is Wisdom) I have taken out the Biblical
meanings of the numbers out, so not to bring confusion. Gematria is
taking letters to numbers, God uses primes (link to prime definition in
the summary)…God also gave us some beastly primes in 1988 to prove it.
Prince Mohammed bin Salmon = 666 in prime number gematria
Prince Mohammed bin Salmon – 1371 in reverse prime number gematria
I hope this helps…I reduced the summary to less than 1 page, hopefully
you will take the time to find understanding per Revelations 13:18 (let
him that hath understanding)
In His Armor,
Response #15:
With respect, as I think I mentioned before, the purpose of the mark of the beast has to do with the Tribulation entirely and is not meant for any applicability before it starts. Who antichrist is will be beyond obvious to any genuine Christian by the time we reach the Tribulation's midpoint and the marking begins. As it says in 2nd Thessalonians chapter two:
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV
If a believer is dense enough not to realize who the beast is after
three and a half years of the Tribulation, when antichrist takes his
seat in the temple in Jerusalem at that point and proclaims himself to
be God, setting up the talking cult statue and only then demanding the
mark on all of the world's inhabitants, those events will leave not a
scintilla of doubt. However, in His matchless grace, in order to take
away the shadow of a shadow of doubt, scripture gives the ultimate
litmus test which demonstrates how to know for absolute certain that
this mark is not benign but is instead the mark of the beast – by giving
us the famous calculation.
That all having been said (and for the details see in
CT 4 "The Mark of the Beast" and "The
Number of the Beast" at the links), there is no profit in trying to
calculate these things before the fact. In these links and the others I
have given you, I have demonstrated that it's not the numbers that are
the problem but the assignment of numerical values to letters that is
the issue. So, for example, what system of enumeration are you using to
calculate the number value of MBS's name? I assure you there are various
ways of doing it.
As mentioned in the last email, there is no "1988", for example, in the
Bible, since that is a modern system of dating not invented or used
until the sixth century A.D. (they used A.U.C. in the west in antiquity
in John's day;
link).
These things being the case, depending on the system one adopts, it is
possible to assign the number to thousands, perhaps millions, of
individuals before the fact. But as I say, that is not the purpose of
the number at all. The purpose is to act as a fail-safe certainty
provider at the half-way point of the Tribulation. That is to say, not
until we see THE MARK can we use the test. Without the exact formulation
of the name IN THE MARK ITSELF, any attempt to use the test will be
necessarily invalid.
As to antichrist, if you will read CT
3B: Antichrist and his Kingdom (at the link), you will see that the
beast 1) is Jewish (on this human side, that is, his mother's side), and
2) hails from mystery Babylon (most likely identification: the US;
see the link). These two points disqualify MBS. Also, as noted, the
south, that is, the Muslim world, will be the opponent of antichrist's
western coalition which will seek to destroy Israel during the first
half of the Tribulation – and lead to the beast's control of the entire
world in the process of his successful campaigns against it.
As to "Watchmen", I only know about Ezekiel. And he was appointed by the
Lord Himself (Ezek.3:17). Since that is not happening at present, there
are no such individuals nowadays. The Spirit is giving no such gifts.
The Lord has not personally appointed any such individuals. And inasmuch
as there is no prophecy being given today – we have the complete Bible –
any individual who claims to be providing "new information" not in
scripture is by definition a false prophet. So I would counsel you to
keep your distance from all such people and find instead a good Bible
teaching ministry which will provide you with the truth you need to grow
spiritually.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #16:
Hi Bob,
Thanks again for your well thought out response. I do respect your
knowledge with this subject. It was just uncanny how all this came to me
(over a 7-month time frame) and how the numbers just fell into place
without having to manipulate anything (I could write a book). Along the
way, I put my name and my wife’s birth name into the gematria
calculator; and we both came up 665 with prime numbers (what are the
odds?). Then, my name in reverse prime came in at 942, the number of
instances Jesus is mentioned in the King James Bible. Not saying I am
anything special, because I most certainly am not. An old farm boy
originally from Northern Minnesota. Also, my wife’s sister passed on
8-31-2007 and her mom passed on 8-31-2012, same day of the month of MBS
birthday (weird).
I attached my final copy of the summary (for your records if you like) .
Going to rest now and see what happens, I have taken this down the
rabbit hole as far as it can go. I also attached the pdf that Bob Dubner
sent me. He and his dad Harvey discovered the beastly prime numbers
(this helped me with the discovery date). He’s a good guy willing to
help; and even though he is a devote atheist, he is amazed at all the
coincidence here.
Lastly, from what I understand; if MBS (death, hell) confirms the
covenant (they call it normalization) with Israel, the tribulation
begins. My gut tells me that Trump will be a part of getting this peace
deal done (Jarad Kushner is tight with MBS), time will tell.
Thanks again, it’s been a pleasure discussing this with you.
p.s., Sorry to bother you again, I noticed I spelled Dubner wrong. I was
getting ready to send this summary to him and noticed that. He has been
such a great help in all of this; and I feel like he is getting close to
understanding what I have been saying. He has a great mind; in that he
developed the software and hardware to count large prime numbers, his
dad was the large prime number guy.
Anyway, I have been asking him what the odds are of these numbers
working out like this…the clearer I can make this for him, the more I
hope to get a response (smile).
My hope is that this summary, will bring the clarity needed to convince
Bob Dubner (a devote atheist), that it is literally 1 in infinity…that
these numbers work out this way.
Interesting times for sure.
In Jesus, my Lord and Savior,
Response #16:
I had a look at the "gematria calculator" and it has the problems
I suspected. The main issues with using this system are (as possibly
already mentioned):
Problem 1) The spelling/form of the name to be investigated. For
example, is it "Trump" or "D. Trump" or "Donald Trump" or "Donald J.
Trump" or "Donald John Trump" or "Donald J. Trump, Jr." or "President
Trump", etc. These are not the only possible variations and each one
will yield a different numerical result, obviously. This is true of all
modern names.
Problem 2) The conversion of the name into another language. When it
comes to vowels in particular, this can be problematic. Do we use a
strong "u" written with a waw when converting Trump's last name
to Hebrew or a weak "u" which will not have a numerical value? This adds
another level of potential confusion.
Problem 3) What language are we converting to? Many of the examples
given in the links and your emails use Hebrew, but Revelation was
written in Greek, and the numerical designator for 666 is chi, xi,
stigma, demonstrating that conversion to/from the Greek system is
likely to be the preferred method. Latin might also a possibility since
that was the official language of the empire at time of writing of
Revelation.
So before we get too excited about any such possibility, it is good to
consider that we have to know first just what FORM of the name it is we
are going to analyze, and just what LANGUAGE we are going to convert it
to using what SYSTEM of conversion. Given the variables, I can render my
own name and titles dozens of possible ways (at least). If we are
talking about someone whose name is Arabic, as in your question, there
is the additional level of potential confusion mentioned above.
Also, even if today we were to run the test against the name of a famous
person, this would be misleading. Only after people start getting marked
will we see the actual mark and the actual number. Then and only then
will the test be legitimate. After all, people change their names. If
"Augustus" were the culprit, we would get nowhere by trying to calculate
"Octavian", e.g. So once again, the "Six hundred and sixty six" litmus
test can ONLY work if applied to the actual mark of the beast. As no one
has seen the actual mark yet, no such test can legitimately be run and
everything else is idle speculation at best, and dangerously misleading
false information at worst. Q.E.D.
Finally, again, on birthdays, the present year is 2,777 A.U.C., the
system which was in use in the Roman world when John wrote Revelation.
So shouldn't we use that year and not the one from the system that
didn't even exist until half a millennium later? When it comes to
individual days, the Julian calendar was the one in force when John
penned this book; do we use those dates or Gregorian calendar dates? In
any case, I'm not sure what gives us the right to use birthdays as the
signature method of "the number of the name". As I read Revelation, the
name is to be converted into the number system (Greek), and we will know
the form to use because this is the tattoo that the false prophet is
requiring (so no guessing about all the problems mentioned above). If
this is the case, then birthdays have nothing to do with it (and, as
mentioned, if they did, we're using the entirely wrong system for years
and for month/day calculations).
You're not the first person to suggest Trump as a likely candidate for
the beast. As I have already possibly mentioned, his mother was Scottish
but antichrist's mother has to be Jewish. So unless there is a grand
conspiracy with his genealogy, "that dog won't hunt".
For all those curious about this subject, it's important not to get too
excited about potential scenarios before the fact. Revelation gives us a
tremendous amount of information as does the rest of scripture (all
brought together "under one roof" in
the Coming Tribulation series;
see the link). But of necessity, since Revelation was written nearly two
thousand years ago, it had to be given in largely general terms without
giving the specifics of names, either of individuals or nations that
didn't yet exist. In my interpretation of things, it won't be long until
we find out all the specifics. Christians should be preparing
spiritually to meet the challenges that difficult time will face us
with.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #17:
Thanks, Bob, for this well thought out response, just to clarify…Trump in not even in the running to be the beast. He may help negotiate the deal between MBS and Israel, however certainly…he is just a satanic puppet at this point, nothing more. At this moment in time, I think I will just sit and wait…like I said before, we will know soon enough. Thanks again for taking the time to review…
Response #17:
It's my pleasure, my friend. Many Christians today have similar questions
– at least many of those who have not been snookered into complacency by
the false pre-Trib rapture theory.
Apologies if I missed part of the main thrust of your analysis. The
Abraham Accords and/or any other treaty or agreement which might be
moved forward and concluded before the Tribulation begins is not at all
the same as what we find at Daniel 9:27 (see the link:
Antichrist's Alliance with Israel). As mentioned, there is no
prophecy for the Church Age. This is the mystery age (link).
All the prophecies in the Old Testament which speak to the end time will
be fulfilled only beginning with the onset of the Tribulation.
In terms of the treaty/covenant of Daniel 9:27 in particular, this is a
device used by antichrist to further his crusade against the Mahdi and
in support of Israel (the secular state). This is one of the ways that
the beast will proffer his bona fides as "the Messiah" (see
the link). But it will not be inaugurated until after the
Tribulation has already begun (which blessedly hasn't happened yet).
Re: "we will know soon enough": I do believe that is true (here's
a link to where my interpretation of the likely commencement date is
expounded).
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #18:
Hey Bob,
Thank you for all this…
However, unless you were in my shoes, and experienced the awestruck moments as I
went down this path of discovery; you will never get it.
Believe it or not, I was listening to this Watchman tell his listeners that
using Prime numbers MBS = 666 and so I was wondering why Prime numbers. A short
time later I was following an Amazon semi, and there was an arrow pointing to
prime. Didn’t think too much about it but it certainly caught my attention. Then
I woke up one night and was pressed to look up the Amazon Logo. It was the
Amazon name with the arrow underneath pointing from the A to the z. I though,
letters to numbers, A-z pointing to Prime (the numbers). That was just the start
of a 7-month journey looking into prime numbers which led me to check out the
Prime definition. One of the many definitions that caught my attention was dawn
or first light; interesting as I looked up Lucifer, Isaiah 14:12 came up as the
only time Lucifer was mentioned in the Bible. Isaiah 14:12 – How art thou fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! So, the definition of Prime’s “dawn
or first light” touched on Lucifer,” son of the morning”.
This is just a small sampling of what I discovered along the way. I have pages
of writings on all of this. Many nights I would lay awake, and God would show me
something else.
Anyway…like I said, unless you were in my shoes over the past 7 month; you would
just think of me as a nut case.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond. At this point, with all the
sleepless nights and awestruck moments…I think I will just wait this out and see
what happens. Maybe God will show me something else, in the meantime…I just need
some rest.
Thanks again,
Response #18:
The word "prime" is a Latin derivative (from primus, meaning, "first").
This designation we owe to a sixteenth century translator of Euclid (who first
discussed the concept) through his translation of Greek protos ("first")
as "prime". So there's nothing magic in the word "prime", and it has nothing to
do with "dawn" either in Latin or the original Greek.
Re: "unless you were in my shoes, and experienced the awestruck moments as I
went down this path of discovery; you will never get it." I try not to
question other people's experiences as God gives us all many things in this life
to guide us and encourage us. When it comes to interpreting experiences,
however, Christians need to always do so by the measuring stick of the truth of
the Word of God. If what we experience lines up with the Bible, well and good.
If it seems not to, then we are making some error in our interpretation of that
experience. As Peter tells us, the written word is superior to all experience,
even, as in his case, superior to one of the most dramatic visions ever given a
living human being, namely, the transfiguration.
(16) For I did not follow concocted tales in making known to you the power and the coming return of our Lord, Jesus Christ, but was an eyewitness to His majesty. (17) For when He had received honor and glory from God the Father, these words sounded forth to Him from God's majestic glory: "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased." (18) And these words I myself heard as they were delivered from heaven, for I was with Him on the holy mountain (cf. Matt.17:1-8). (19) Yet I consider the prophetically inspired Word (i.e. the Bible) even more reliable (i.e., than what I saw with my own eyes). You too would do well to pay the closest attention to this [prophetically inspired Word], just as to a lamp shining in a dark place (cf. Ps.119:105), until the day dawns, and the Morning Star rises (i.e. the Living Word, Jesus Christ, returns), (20) pondering in your hearts this principle of prime importance: no single verse of prophetically inspired scripture has ever come into being as a result of personal reflection. (21) For true prophecy has never occurred by human will, but only when holy men of God have spoken under the direction and agency of the Holy Spirit.
2nd Peter 1:16-21
Many people find numbers fascinating. Personally, I've always just found them
difficult and confusing. But I can tell you from much experience with scripture
and its interpretation that anything approaching numerology (be it "angel
numbers" or Kabbalah or all manner of Gnostic systems) is at best a significant
drain on one's time and energy (as in ruining one's life trying to figure out
"Beale's code", for example [do NOT look it up; it was always a scam]), and at
worst a gateway into many dangerous things which have nothing to do with the
Bible.
Letting this go and waiting to see what happens is not a bad plan . . . if you
combine it with sufficient spiritual growth necessary to be prepared for what is
to come. That is the purpose of this ministry, and you are welcome to its
resources any time (here's a link to the
Basics Series).
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #19:
Hi Bob,
Was reading the first email of this Sunday's posting and it kind of sent
me somewhere where the Lord was already leading!
It was a very good reminder that the number of the Beast is not 666 but
Chi Xi Stigma or χξϛ
The reason for the excitement is there is a possibility already around
that may be how this number will be presented. You know how the New Age
is very much doing the rounds, that it has already infiltrated the
church especially through the Kundalini?
New Age often comes up in my research on false teaching on cults and I
realised something today. I really believe the Lord led me to this
because it is so deeply hidden and no one else seems to have picked up
on it.
I was shown that the Chi Xi Stigma actually forms the Crown Chakra of a
'Kundalini Awakening' which really is the main teaching practice of the
New Age. It is the main point of Yoga, to open all the Chakras to attain
godhood or Guru (god-man).
You can see all three make up what the New Agers call Sahasrara. Another
word for this apart from Crown Chakra is the noise or 'mantra' it is
related to which is known as OM which is claimed to be the 'sound of
creation'.
They believe that if everyone chants OM and opens the Crown Chakra that
they will all become gods and be co-creators of the new earth/new age.
Of course this is all serpent lies and actually leads to demonic
possession or what is known (even in New Age circles) as 'Kundalini
Psychosis' whereby people completely lose control of their own bodies
and eventually their minds.
I have attached images of how Chi Xi Stigma is hidden in the Crown
Chakra Sanskrit.
It makes sense that this could be a tattoo put on people's foreheads to
show they have 'opened their minds' and 'achieved godhood'.
Obviously we can only be sure when the time comes but it is worthwhile
knowing beforehand as a possibility. This could easily go undetected by
so many as it doesn't actually say '666' as people expect it to. Satan
is subtle so it makes sense that the mark would be subtle to those who
are not alert to it. Something to be wary of!
Will be adding this to my ministry when it goes live as I really think
people need to see this!
In Jesus,
Response #19:
Interesting observation on the possible presentation of the number of
the beast in his mark. I've opined on this as well in CT 4 ("The
Mark of the Beast" and "The
Number of the Beast" at the links).
One thing to keep in mind is that the mark/name will not be a "trick".
There will be no marking until antichrist proclaims himself to be God
and takes his seat in the temple of Jerusalem (2Thes.2:3-4) while his
false prophet sets up the "abomination that causes desolation" in the
temple court and demands that the world worship it: that is the context
of the mark et al. (Rev.13:11-18).
So it won't be a case of anyone being deceived into accepting this
marking. There will be pressure and compulsion, but anyone who is
conscious with an I.Q. above plant-life will understand what this mark
means and whose it is. And just in case there is anyone who has any
doubt, we are given the test in Revelation thirteen for exactly this
reason, namely, as a definitive means of removing any possible excuse
that anyone "didn't know" what this mark was or whose it was.
The devil is the master of lies and deceit. But he wants the world of
that day to willingly worship him and his son – even if "willing"
includes pressure to the point of starvation, torture and death.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #20:
Hello Doc,
How are you holding up so far this year?
I had a notion a while back that hasn’t subsided and although, with your
help, I’ve calmed down on trying to pinpoint certain players in the end
times (the antichrist specifically) one guy has stood out more and more
to me and I wanted your take.
What are your thoughts on Barron Trump?
I know Daniel omits much information about Antiochus’s personal life,
but is the fact that he was “royalty adjacent” potentially a likeness he
and antichrist will also share? Neither of them were/are “in line” for
the throne, and in fact I’ve heard many say Eric or Don jr. should be
president, but his (Barron’s) age, unique build (super tall and VERY
Hebrew features-nose specifically) and so far unspecified points of view
and the fact that he doesn’t seem to have any disqualifying
characteristics leave me guessing..
Family is doing great; __ is getting big; things are moving along. The
YouTube Channel seems be having spikes in popularity between the
suppression of view, comments and detractors, but I keep going.
Look forward to hearing from you, Brother.
Response #20:
Good to hear from you, my friend. Glad to hear the family is doing well. Also
that your ministry progresses (good for you!). How is work going?
On the question, if the Tribulation begins in just a couple of years, it is hard
to see how anyone under around thirty or so (the traditional age of maturity to
qualify for serious endeavors in ancient calculations) would be eligible for
this diabolical distinction. Another problem with the Trumps is that antichrist
will be Jewish on his mother's side (his father is the devil). This would also
seem to be a disqualifying fact.
While is may seem amazing that this close we don't really have a clue as to the
beast's identity, as I have been reminding folks lately 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-10
makes it clear that he won't be "revealed" until after the Tribulation begins.
So it is very unlikely that anyone could be "sure" of who it is before we are
clearly in the Tribulation. At that point, as I have often affirmed, things will
move more quickly than at any prior time in human history. The speed of change
will be one of the factors that makes the great Tribulation "great" (in a
negative way of course; see the
link).
Keeping you and yours in my daily prayers.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #21:
The job is insufficient overall but we’re getting by, nothing new.
Pretty sure I won’t be escaping mediocre employment before I die.
I don't think it’s a far stretch that someone could “discover” their
Jewish lineage last minute. Also, what about the fact that he is said to
confirm the covenant of 7 years with the many? Won’t that reveal him to
us paying attention?
Aside from the Jewish question, Barron seems a likely candidate, but
we’ll see.
Response #21:
In terms of discovering, it's hard for me to conceptualize antichrist not
knowing who he is early on. His Jewish parentage will be a benefit to him
because it will help cement the myth that he is Christ. He is called
"anti-Christ" not just for his opposition to the Lord but because he will
overtly pretend to be Him. If the beast were not unquestionably Jewish, there is
no way he could pretend to be the Messiah. So the scenario where some
genealogist finds some tenuous connection in the distant past doesn't work, as I
see it.
In terms of Daniel 9:27, this treaty will not be put into place until after the
Tribulation begins. By that time, I do think it will be obvious to all
Christians who have been studying the scriptures that the beast is the beast:
the ruler of mystery Babylon who supports Israel (temporarily) in two major
military campaigns in a crusade against the Mahdi (deemed "antichrist' by the
beast and his followers). All that (and more) will be very hard to miss.
In terms of someone so young (only 21 or so when the Tribulation begins), that
also seems unlikely to me. Our Lord did not begin His public ministry until He
was thirty not because He couldn't have done but because thirty was the minimum
age to be taken seriously (cf. Num.4:3-47; 2Sam.5:4). Even under our
constitution, one has to be 35 to serve as president.
Of course, perhaps you're thinking that the Tribulation is still a considerable
distance away? Not in my view. Granted, 2026 is an interpretation (link),
not a teaching of scripture directly present in the Bible. But I do think it's a
correct one.
I'm glad to hear that you are "getting by". I'll keep this in my prayers. Thanks
much for your prayers too, my friend!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #22:
I’m with you on the timeline, for certain.
My studies on melania’s background show an Austrian/Czech ancestry and
both counties have had significant Jewish populations, on top of the
fact that Trump is quite friendly with the Israeli powers that be,
perhaps just in my mind, make the possibility of a “spontaneous”
discovery of his(Barron’s) background at some point possible, but still
pure speculation.
We’re definitely seeing the political tides change in Europe with all
the issues surrounding immigration and Israel is certainly tempting the
south to rise up over a potential (and likely) Temple Mount takeover so
like you’ve said, he will come to the surface at some point not long
from now. I’m hoping the backlash over said takeover in the west stays
away from the faithful when it does because it won’t be pretty, but will
certainly aid the antichrist in his rise.
Your works are still the most comprehensive and I believe factual on the
matter and I always defer to you, but it is hard not to speculate
especially considering the lateness of the current hour. Now about these
folks who think Trump is the antichrist.. man are they way off.
It’s been good talking with you, thanks once again for all you do in our
Lord God.
Response #22:
Thanks for the good words.
The descriptions of antichrist in Daniel certainly paint a picture of a
sinister character, but that of course doesn't mean that many people
won't be enthralled by him – clearly they will be.
And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
Revelation 13:3b-4 NKJV
A highly charismatic figure filled with righteous indignation portraying
himself as Christ bursting forth on the scene in the first days of the
Tribulation jibes with what scripture tells us. No present person of
celebrity of whom I am aware seems to fit that bill. But we ALL need to
keep an open mind and not become wedded to any specific scenario. The
Bible and Revelation in particular gives us a tremendous amount of
information, but it is in the nature of an outline rather than the
granular details which can only be known after the Tribulation begins.
Thinking about these things can be profitable . . . if it leads us to
redouble our efforts in spiritual growth in order to get properly
prepared for what is soon to come.
In Jesus,
Bob L.