GENTLE BREEZE
It has been said so often has it said that “If you want to find out what happened yesterday, read the newspaper; if you want to discover what happened today, watch the six o’clock news. If you want to know what’s going to happen tomorrow, read the Word of God.” Bible-believing Christians find this statement to be true. However, there are many who do not believe the last part – that if you want to know what’s going to happen tomorrow, read the Word of God –The Bible.
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As time goes by and we grow older, many of us come face to face with the hard reality that someday we will end our stay in this world and that physical death is inevitable. And for those of us who believe that there is a God, that there is eternal life after death (our souls are immortal). And the Second Coming of Christ foretold in the Holy Bible is not a myth. – Please spare time to read carefully and spiritually the Holy Bible particularly some verses in the Gospels (Matthew 24, 25; Mark 13; and Luke 21). These verses will give us a comprehensive overview of what’s going to happen tomorrow – or what’s going to happen at the “end times” or “end of the age.” These verses found in the three books of the Bible give us the basic outline/plan for the end times.
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The so-called “outline for the end times” is more popularly known as the Sermon at the Mount. Others refer to the Sermon on the Mount as The Olivet Discourse or Olivet Prophecy or the Little Apocalypse. Let me share the following background information:
- The sermon was preached by Jesus three days before He died on the cross.
- The sermon was preached from the Mount of Olives which is just outside Jerusalem.
- The sermon is about the last days and Christ’s second coming on the Mount of Olives, the same place where Jesus Christ would one day return.
- The audience listening to Jesus consisted of only four (4) men, namely, the Apostles Peter, James, John, and Andrew.
- Many Bible scholars believe that the period of time addressed in the sermon is the seven-year Tribulation period that will occur just before Christ returns.
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One may ask: What is Tribulation? The Tribulation is a seven-year period prescribed in the Book of Revelation. In the first three and a half years of Tribulation, the wrath of God will be felt by the wicked. Tribulation is a time of great distress that will occur before Christ’s second coming. During the last three and a half years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be empowered by Satan to do evil things. The Book of Daniel says the Antichrist will make a covenant (peace pact) with Israel for seven years. But after three and a half years, the Antichrist will break this covenant. Is the first three years and a half, the Antichrist will appear as a man of peace. with a magnetic personality. He will be an eloquent speaker and will have a strikingly attractive personality. People will flock to him like flies to honey and will do anything he asks. When Antichrist breaks the peace pact with Israel after three and a half years, his evil nature will surface. The last three and a half years will be known as the Great Tribulation period (See Matthew 24:21 where it was Jesus himself who introduced the phrase great tribulation. See also the Book of Revelation 13, 19, 16, 14, 20).
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One may further ask: What is God’s purpose for sending the Great Tribulation?
“One purpose for God allowing the Great Tribulation to occur will be to humble the physical nations that have descended from Biblical Israel and lead them to repentance. After this period of correction, Christ will return to earth and the survivors of these Israelite nations will undergo a complete transformation. They will become a holy people and an example to all the other nations on earth (Zephaniah 3:11-13).” (Reference: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/revelation/great-tribulation/ )
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Pastor Richard (Dick) Mirpuri of New Vision Phils is giving out free soft e-copies of his book “Glimpse of Grace.”
To get free soft e-copies, please send us your email address.
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This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis Villafuerte, 5233 Fahrenheit St., Palanan, Makati City. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano Bible that is preferred.
Be joyful and forgiving! (Comments may be sent to Ms. Villafuerte’s email: [email protected].)