NATURE NOTES: A SHIFT FROM TALK ABOUT THE END TIMES

It may be a cold spring, but it's still spring.

Have heard the loon a few times recently.

Heard the barred owl last night. 

RICHARD ALLINSON-THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS-THE WOMAN WHO RIDES THE BEAST; THE EARLY TRIBULATION RAPTURE

Note that I am writing my responses to things the author says in the book under discussion as I come across them. That's why some of what I say might appear as if I didn't read later clarifying passages.

As far as the European Union is concerned, what about the prophecy in Daniel that says "they shall not cleave one to another?"

1 Thessalonians 4 16-17 is not talking about Jesus catching away his people secretly as so many Christians have come to believe today. This is one of the noisiest passages in the Word and points to Christ taking His people up at His return, after the tribulation, to return to Earth to conquer it and set all things right.

John 14 3 in no way infers a secret, silent rapture, or any other kind, prior to Jesus' actual return.

As far as Revelation 7 9-14 is concerned, what about the opening of the fifth seal (so four seals in already) described in Revelation 6 9-11, which speaks about other Christians being killed before justice is complete, particularly in the last verse?.

Luke 17 34-36 has always been understood to be about judgment, not what we have come to call the rapture.

How the heck are people going to turn to God after the supposed early tribulation rapture if the age of grace is closed and the Holy Spirit as far as He is present in the global church has been removed?

As to 1 Thessalonians 5 9, see what I said in an earlier post.

If your version of the rapture doesn't end up taking place, will you still maintain your hope in Jesus Christ?

RICHARD ALLINSON-THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS-THE TEN HORNS

The author really doesn't prove his case in this chapter. Just because Japan has been politically Westernized, it still was never on the Mediterranean and was also never part of the Roman Empire.

I believe Rome, as in Roman Catholicism, especially the pope, will play apart in the emergence of the government of Revelation 13. However, I believe the ten kingdoms are ten world regions, each ruled by their respective leader. The antichrist will come to global dominance and take power, ruling over all ten regional leaders. The beast will then orchestrate the merger of three regions into others, thus leaving seven. 

In order for the antichrist to rule the world, you first have to condition people for a global dictatorship by getting rid of sovereign nations and dissolving borders. What had we been hearing about for years before Trump's second term? How bad and unnecessary borders are. What have we been hearing about and reacting to since before Trump was appointed to office a second time? Countries joining with other countries, namely Canada becoming the fifty-first U.S. state and the States annexing Greenland. We've even heard about making all of North America, including Mexico and Central America, into one country.  

Also, Allinson seems to be unqualifiedly saying Donald Trump is the antichrist. From the standpoint of interpreting the Bible, this is dangerous. Don't choose a candidate for the man of sin, just like you wouldn't set a date for Jesus Christ's return.

As well, how the heck can this guy interpret Daniel 2 44 to be foretelling the kingdom of the antichrist when it is clearly talking about Christ's rule over and subduing of the world after He returns?

RICHARD ALLINSON-THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS-THE APOSTASY AND THE REVEALING

I appreciate the fact the author points out that the great falling away Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians 2 3 refers neither to the rapture nor to the world at large falling away from Christianity, but instead to Christ's followers departing from the faith. 

I also agree with the author that the son of perdition will be someone who is already well-known before he attains world despotism.

I do not, however, believe in the pretribulation rapture. Just because 1 Thessalonians 5 9 and Revelation 3 10 say we aren't appointed to wrath, that doesn't mean the church will be caught up into Heaven at some point before or during the tribulation. The seven vial judgments are described as the wrath of God. God can certainly preserve His people unscathed on Earth in the midst of pouring out His wrath on the world. 

As far as Daniel 9 27 and Daniel's seventieth week, I have already stated that I believe the One who confirms the covenant, that being the new covenant, is Jesus, who, when He came to Earth the first time, ministered for three and a half years and was then cut off, or killed. I believe both halves of this final week bookend the age of grace, in which we currently live. The final three and a half years will take place before Jesus' second coming. Thus, the time known as the tribulation will be three and a half years, not seven years. Daniel and Revelation speak of three and a half year periods of time in terms of 1290 days, 1335 days, and 1260 days.

RICHARD ALLINSON-THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS-THE APOSTASY OF THE LAST DAYS

The MAGA movement is just one of many current apostasies that are taking place within the church, just as there have been many apostasies in the past. 2 Thessalonians 2 3 speaks of the apostasy of apostasies, as it were, that has to take place before the antichrist is revealed. This man of sin will indeed serve as a substitute for the One who should be filling the spiritual needs of every person on planet Earth. I will write more about this when I get to the chapters on the antichrist.

The 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen. Those watching that night saw the numbers change before their very eyes. I should add, though, that I don't believe any so-called free country has had a fair election in quite some time, if ever, at least at the national level.

January 6 was a giant, staged pagan ritual complete with human sacrifices. 

I believe 1 Timothy 4 1 and 2 Timothy 3 1-5 speak of things going on in the time the letters were written, as well as happenings that continue and increase to the present day.

Life is dynamic. Simply because many people are departing from the faith and being seduced by evil spirits doesn't mean many other people can't come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Additionally, as Allinson makes mention of, Christians caught in the errors described in 1 Timothy 4 or who are acting as Paul depicts in 2 Timothy 3 can repent.

RICHARD ALLINSON-THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS-LOCATION OF THE THIRD TEMPLE; THE DAY THE WORLD WONDERED

I really liked chapter three, except of course for the fact the author applies Daniel 9 27. I had heard a brief mention of the true location where the third temple will be built but it was never actually explained. 

As for Revelation 13 3: First of all, we know the event described in this verse is symbolic because logically, John didn't actually see a literal seven-headed beast ruling the world.

Second, it says one of his heads was wounded unto death, not "had it been slightly higher or lower, he would have been dead."

We know from later in Revelation that seven of something symbolizes the seven great world empires, five of which had passed when Revelation was written, one that currently existed and one that was yet to come.

The five former empires were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.

Of course, the world power that existed in John's time was Rome.

The world empire that will arise just before Jesus returns is the global government of the antichrist.

Since the deadly wound is symbolic, we then need to ask which of these empires was wounded unto death, or, as the author more correctly points out, appeared to be dead, but wasn't.

When it comes to the first five empires: Egypt is now more or less a backwater controlled by Arabs. Assyria is now the northern part of Iraq. Babylon no longer exists and the area where it once was is now southern Iraq. Medo-Persia still exists under the name Iran but isn't what it once was. Greece, like Egypt, is basically a backwater.

So that leads us to take a look at Rome. Rome fell, but did it truly? The political empire fell, but a powerful Roman empire emerged in the form of the Roman Catholic church. Spiritually speaking, Rome is still a global power. It appears to have fallen, if we think only in terms of it being a political entity, but the wound was healed and Rome continued to dominate the world, just in a different way.

Also, if there was actually an attempt on Trump's life, where is the scratch behind the ear?

RICHARD ALLINSON-THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS-THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS

I appreciated the history of the Abraham Accords 1.0 and 2.0 shared in this chapter as I wasn't altogether familiar with them.

I believe Daniel 9 27 is talking about Jesus.

The week spoken of is a seven year period. The first three and a half days represent the three and a half years of Jesus' earthly ministry, after which he was cut off, i.e. crucified in order to confirm the new covenant God had promised by the prophet Jeremiah. This caused the need for animal sacrifices and ceremonial washings to cease as stated in Hebrews.