Paul's Passing Thoughts

In our series on the book of Revelation, we are seeking to begin with a basic framework that is objective and then fill in the minor details as we go with more objective truth.

last Sunday, we made some observations. The majority of the book focuses on a three-and-a-half-year period preceding the visible return of Christ to set up his 1000-year kingdom on earth.

The revelation is written to the assembly of Christ, and the assembly is responsible for disseminating and protecting its truth.

The Bible is full of a mass of details regarding the end of the age. We believe the purpose of these details are clarity, not confusion.

The seals of Revelation unveil a scroll; undoubtably, the revelation that Daniel was told to “seal up until the end.” Revelation is the unsealing of Daniel’s revelation. The six seals are an overview of the “day of the Lord” which is a seven-year period. Its beginning is marked by a treaty that Israel will sign with the antichrist. The sixth seal clearly describes the last day of the seven-year period, and thus indicating that the seals are an overview of the entire period. Note that the seals unveiling the document are not opened sporadically throughout the book. They are an overview, and then details are filled in later.

Matthew chapter 24 is key to understanding Revelation. Christ provides a timeline of the major events, the framework. The “beginning of sorrows” take place in the first 3-and-a-half years and result in the death of 25% of the world’s population through wars and famine. But, as Christ states, “the end is not yet.” Seals one through three, “wars and rumors of wars” lead up to catastrophic events that destroy a third of the world (Revelation chapters 8 and 9).

In the midst of this, the antichrist sweeps into Jerusalem, enters the third temple, sits in the Holy of Holies, and declares himself to be God. He then sets out to destroy the Jews in a wholesale genocide, but, somehow, some way, “on the wings of a great eagle,” the Jews are protected until Christ’s visible return.

The result? The antichrist seeks to destroy the remnant of Judaism, non-Jewish believers; this is the fifth seal. The slaughter of the saints during the last three-and-a-half years of the tribulation period is a direct result of the Jews being protected somehow. The focus of the antichrist’s wrath is then focused on non-Jewish believers.

The destruction of one third of the earth’s geographical regions and 50% of its population to this point, coupled with miracles performed by the antichrist et al, lead to the rest of the world falling in line with anything the antichrist proclaims. Jerusalem is then the center of an apocalyptic spiritual warfare for the remaining 3.5 years involving two prophets from God.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is thriving under a spectacular city that is the center of economic prosperity while also being the epicenter of all sorts of evils and abominations. The last part of this period culminates with the destruction of that city and the visible return of Christ.

paul

Live link for Sunday 1/31/2021 @ 11am: https://boxcast.tv/channel/uxmfxll4c5hueskal2e6

Clearly, the election was stolen, and both parties are totally ok with that. Yes, indeed, it could spell the end of America as we know it, but that is not certain and probably unlikely. I continue to be amazed at the genius of America’s founders. No matter what happens, it would seem they saw it coming, and a stolen election by a one-party system posing as two is no exception.

The key is the balance of powers and the separation of powers. For example, it is unlikely that all states or counties within states would go along with gun confiscation. Some counties have declared themselves, by law, sanctuaries for 2nd Amendment rights.

A good person can have a slow progression of cancer. If cancer is not diagnosed and treated, it will eventually kill the victim. Donald Trump exposed the cancer. The next four years could be the treatment, and America could end up being better than ever. This is not wishful thinking; it’s reality, and likely.

Regarding the strategy of Donald Trump’s populist movement going forward, the relevant question is evident: should he start a third party or continue to reform the Republican party?

First, due to the voter fraud issue, Trump’s endgame may not be the White House. He may conclude that widely accepted voter fraud will make that improbable for him. His focus may be the balance of power in the House and Senate. However, a third party with the following Trump has could change what the swing states are on the electoral map to states that enforce fair elections. If Trump maintains a following of 70 million-plus, that makes his options significant.

Many political pundits, such as Jesse Watters, do not take a third party run seriously, but no third party has ever mustered the massive support that Trump has. And, again, splitting the electoral vote three ways could make the five corrupt swing states meaningless table scrapes to be fought over by the Democrat and Republican dogs.

All in all, Trump has significant options open to him. And if not him, it’s a movement that will produce another outsider who has a model to follow and lessons learned. A third party would transfer the power of the movement’s ideas from an individual to a party.

We would do well to remember how a third party can shift the balance of power; viz, Ross Perot. Clearly, his limited popularity handed the Presidency to Bill Clinton in the 1992 election. He garnered 20 million votes in 92 and almost 9% of the vote in 1996. Nine points is a bunch.

However, Trump could reform the Republican party; perhaps that’s what his foes fear most. He might take some time off to rest, get involved in primarying his political enemies in the Republican party for the next two years, and then run for 2024 in the two years after that. It was announced yesterday, already, that Liz Cheney is being primaried. She is far from being the last. But, that doesn’t deal with the voter fraud issue.

And, is the laugh factor about a third party run for Trump more or less than him running for president, to begin with? Remember this: George Wallace won five states as a third-party candidate in 1968 and Theodore Roosevelt won 88 electoral votes (and 30% of the popular vote) as a third-party candidate in 1912.

There is a first time in history for everything, and a third party’s time may be upon us. Of course, political pundits will reject this idea out of hand as if they have been right about anything in the past eight years.

What will be Trump’s strategy if he survives an onslaught to prevent him from running in 2024 (which is likely)? We will have to wait and see, but America’s slow death was a given until Trump came along and a bright future for America is well within the realm of reality.

paul