LEARNING DAILY

Ezekiel 36:24, I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.

Today we will conclude the message given this past weekend by Pastor Ed Newton on the rapture and return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the last page of the blog Pastor was discussing the signs that would be seen before these events occurred. Basically, the eyes of the world would be on the Middle East. That has been the case since Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation. God had gathered His people who had been scattered around the world to a portion of the land He had promised Abraham. This area has been a source of war and rumor of war since that time. It has drawn the interest from a coalition of nations including Russia, China, and Middle Eastern nations – you might want to take the time to read the prophecy found in Ezekiel 38-39.

There is also growing provision for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. There is talk about a New Dome of the Rock being built elsewhere; so far there has only been discussion on this. However, preparation has begun by a group known as the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. “The Institute has secured substantial funding and successfully recreated numerous temple implements according to biblical specifications, including the menorah, altar of incense, and table of showbread - items that are essential for temple worship and were specifically commanded by God in Exodus. Additionally, the Institute has constructed a modular altar that can be quickly assembled, making it possible to resume sacrificial worship when circumstances permit. These developments collectively mark a historic milestone in the preparation for the Third Temple's construction and its role in end-time events. In a significant development, five red heifers were transported from Texas to Israel in September 2022, marking the first qualified red heifers in over 2,000 years according to both the Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera, and the Temple Institute. This achievement represents a crucial milestone in Third Temple preparations, as the ashes of a red heifer are essential for purifying both the temple site and the priests who will serve in it, according to Numbers 19:2-10. Without this purification ritual, the construction and operation of the Third Temple would be considered ritually invalid under Jewish law (from a January 1, 2025 internet article).

Before the return of Jesus, a man of lawlessness who rejects all moral authority (2 Thessalonians 2:3) will rise to power. He will exalt himself above all gods (Revelation 13:5-6), demanding all who are on earth to worship him. His leadership will be deceptive; he will strategically gain control of the world’s military, economy, and what happens in the world (Daniel 7-8). He will perform counterfeit miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, Revelation 13:13-14) and set himself up to be worshipped in the temple (Revelation 13:5). This was information on the Listener Guide!

The return of Christ will be the end of the devil’s rule on earth. Satan will be bound for 1,000 years, let loose to deceive as many as possible before finally being cast into the lake of fire and brimstone for eternity! What comes after the return of Jesus Christ is judgment. At the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ is the Judgment Seat of Christ – this is not a judgment of salvation. It is a “distribution of gifts based on what Believers have done for the body of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10)” (EN). After Satan has been thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, those who have never given their lives to Christ, those who do not have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be “removed from heaven for eternity” (EN).

Believer get ready and stay ready! Ready or not, here I come!”