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Today is the day the Apocalypse This zine goes on sale at the Nottingham Zine Fair. I was asked to contribute a piece for the magazine. Here is the backstory. Below is the article I wrote for the zine.
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The Apocalypse has been the source behind some of the greatest poetry, art, and writing. One of Yeats’s greatest poems is called The Second Coming, most of Renaissance art contain Apocalyptic or biblical scenes, and many films these days have apocalyptic storylines. It all comes from the bible, the world’s greatest selling book. That’s pretty amazing when the fact is the bible is unreadable to any person who doesn’t know Christ.
You heard me. More on that in a second.
But first, what IS Apocalypse?
The word apocalypse comes from the Greek for "revelation," or "unveiling." It’s about future things dealing with the return of Christ and the events of the end time. Do you know that a third of the bible is prophecy? Did you know that every book in the NT except Philemon speaks about the end times? It’s not just a Revelation thing. It’s a Jesus thing, and Jesus is throughout the entire bible.
So what IS going to happen? Jesus is going to punish sin, plain and simple. Punishment is never pleasant, and Jesus said that the Apocalypse will be the worst time on earth there will ever be. (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1b). Daniel 9:24 explains the 6 things God will do during the Apocalypse punishments. God, who is loving, wants us to be righteous so we can be with Him in heaven, so He sent Jesus. God, who is holy, is going to punish the unholy, who reject Jesus.
There will be earthquakes so bad that entire mountains crumble and islands flee away. One hundred pound hailstones will squash men. Plagues (and wars and beasts) will kill 1/3 of people. Demons will be let out of the abyss to inflict a painful bite so bad that people want to die: but can’t. They’ll chew their tongues in agony. Starving people will die in the streets, but no one will care. Things will come upon the earth so frightening that people have heart attacks on the spot. The sun and moon go dark, stars fall from the sky. Jesus said it will be so bad that if He let it go longer nobody would survive. As it is, 4 billion die within the 7 years. (Revelation 6-19).
Sin is real. God’s judgment of sin is real. Satan is real. Hell is real. The coming Antichrist is real. Everything in the bible is real. Not any other book. Apocalypse will happen. The rapture will be the signal that it’s beginning.
How can I be so sure? Because for 43 years I had everything I ever wanted. Money, fame, comforts, ease, professional recognition, world travel, and yet I felt empty. I felt in my soul that there had to be something more. What was this longing? This hole I felt within me? (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Is this all there is? Live a life and then die? It seemed like a lot of trouble to go through just to die. Is there a heaven? Will I go there? I wondered all these things.
It was the lack of knowing Jesus that was the problem. He created us. (Rev 4:11) and because we are born with a sin-nature, I was separate from him. THAT’S what I was feeling. I had been trying to fill that hole with temporary and unfulfilling things. I finally found the answer, at middle age without ever having gone to a church (so I’m not brainwashed into Christianity, lol). When you confess your sins and repent to Jesus, He forgives you and He brings you to fellowship with Him. He sends the Holy Spirit to make the things of God understandable, like the bible. (2 Corinthians 3:14). Before I was saved, the bible made no sense. I thought it was stupid. I thought bible thumpers and Jesus followers were stupid. After I repented, the bible made total sense and I loved Jesus.
I now see death differently from all the rest of the world that has no hope. It is simply a transition, from something tiring and full of struggle, to something wondrous and glorious beyond compare. I have no fears of the Apocalypse, because I won’t be here to experience it. Those in Christ will be taken out of the way, because He is not angry with us. We’re forgiven sinners. He is angry with unrepentant sinners. O, it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God!
I am very sure this age will come to a terrible end. I am sure that time is not long away. I am very sure that I will be lifted bodily away from earth to meet Jesus in the air at the rapture to live with Him forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54.) If you want that certainty too, then repent of your sins and turn to Jesus. Believe He is Lord, who sacrificially died to satisfy God’s wrath about sin and who was raised on the third day. I will be in heaven. I hope you will be too.
--------------
The Apocalypse has been the source behind some of the greatest poetry, art, and writing. One of Yeats’s greatest poems is called The Second Coming, most of Renaissance art contain Apocalyptic or biblical scenes, and many films these days have apocalyptic storylines. It all comes from the bible, the world’s greatest selling book. That’s pretty amazing when the fact is the bible is unreadable to any person who doesn’t know Christ.
You heard me. More on that in a second.
But first, what IS Apocalypse?
The word apocalypse comes from the Greek for "revelation," or "unveiling." It’s about future things dealing with the return of Christ and the events of the end time. Do you know that a third of the bible is prophecy? Did you know that every book in the NT except Philemon speaks about the end times? It’s not just a Revelation thing. It’s a Jesus thing, and Jesus is throughout the entire bible.
So what IS going to happen? Jesus is going to punish sin, plain and simple. Punishment is never pleasant, and Jesus said that the Apocalypse will be the worst time on earth there will ever be. (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1b). Daniel 9:24 explains the 6 things God will do during the Apocalypse punishments. God, who is loving, wants us to be righteous so we can be with Him in heaven, so He sent Jesus. God, who is holy, is going to punish the unholy, who reject Jesus.
There will be earthquakes so bad that entire mountains crumble and islands flee away. One hundred pound hailstones will squash men. Plagues (and wars and beasts) will kill 1/3 of people. Demons will be let out of the abyss to inflict a painful bite so bad that people want to die: but can’t. They’ll chew their tongues in agony. Starving people will die in the streets, but no one will care. Things will come upon the earth so frightening that people have heart attacks on the spot. The sun and moon go dark, stars fall from the sky. Jesus said it will be so bad that if He let it go longer nobody would survive. As it is, 4 billion die within the 7 years. (Revelation 6-19).
Sin is real. God’s judgment of sin is real. Satan is real. Hell is real. The coming Antichrist is real. Everything in the bible is real. Not any other book. Apocalypse will happen. The rapture will be the signal that it’s beginning.
How can I be so sure? Because for 43 years I had everything I ever wanted. Money, fame, comforts, ease, professional recognition, world travel, and yet I felt empty. I felt in my soul that there had to be something more. What was this longing? This hole I felt within me? (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Is this all there is? Live a life and then die? It seemed like a lot of trouble to go through just to die. Is there a heaven? Will I go there? I wondered all these things.
It was the lack of knowing Jesus that was the problem. He created us. (Rev 4:11) and because we are born with a sin-nature, I was separate from him. THAT’S what I was feeling. I had been trying to fill that hole with temporary and unfulfilling things. I finally found the answer, at middle age without ever having gone to a church (so I’m not brainwashed into Christianity, lol). When you confess your sins and repent to Jesus, He forgives you and He brings you to fellowship with Him. He sends the Holy Spirit to make the things of God understandable, like the bible. (2 Corinthians 3:14). Before I was saved, the bible made no sense. I thought it was stupid. I thought bible thumpers and Jesus followers were stupid. After I repented, the bible made total sense and I loved Jesus.
I now see death differently from all the rest of the world that has no hope. It is simply a transition, from something tiring and full of struggle, to something wondrous and glorious beyond compare. I have no fears of the Apocalypse, because I won’t be here to experience it. Those in Christ will be taken out of the way, because He is not angry with us. We’re forgiven sinners. He is angry with unrepentant sinners. O, it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God!
I am very sure this age will come to a terrible end. I am sure that time is not long away. I am very sure that I will be lifted bodily away from earth to meet Jesus in the air at the rapture to live with Him forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54.) If you want that certainty too, then repent of your sins and turn to Jesus. Believe He is Lord, who sacrificially died to satisfy God’s wrath about sin and who was raised on the third day. I will be in heaven. I hope you will be too.
Comments
My goodness!!! I hope this doesn't happen until I'm long gone, I'm currently writing an essay about this topic. Thank you for your help with my essay and getting me prepared.
ReplyDeleteI didn't help you with your essay. Use the bible to help you with your essay. It's better than anything man writes.
Deletebut wasn't the bible written by the accounts of man..
ReplyDeleteWhy yes, it was! It was written by the Spirit using men to pen HIS inspiration. (2 Timothy 3:16-17.)
DeleteThe bible is an amazing book, God's word written so that man can know Him, penned over 1600 years, by 44 authors spread over three continents, and yet tells ONE unified story!
But arent the Hindu scriptures much more enlightening that the bible due to the simple fact that Hinduism was established much much before Christianity?
DeleteBy the way, this was really helpful! I have a homework assignment due in a week and this saved me!
No. Not at all. The Hindu writings are not scripture, they are not enlightening for the simple fact they were written by men. The Bible is the only enlightening word because it is written by God. I'm glad this was helpful. I hope you don't cheat and plagiarize it. That is a sin for which the one True God will be very angry and for which you would need to repent.
DeleteProverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
GOD IS REAL we need to acknowledge and this is coming from someone who as been through a lot and still holds on to her faith. we have so many questions based on if the bible is real. IT IS! just look at what is going on currently. we have raging wars over religion, we have homeless starving in the street with only little caring, we are so bad in debt that every second adds a million dollars. we have 164 mass shooting in obamas 8 year presidency, and we have parents killing children and children killing parents. our would is do destroyed that just about all odf my friends do drugs, done drugs, lost their virginity, or drop out of high school. We have a country that just about lets anythings happen and a god who has open arms to help us if we just lean on him. i grown up in a family of drug addicts, i was raped by family members, and my family refused to believe a thing i said. But god then sent me an opportunity to go to a school that pays for my college and gets me away from the destruction. My family glamorized their life and eventually i left. i went from foster home to foster home. Till god sent me to a christian based home that brought me to the lord jesus christ. I knew him but i was still somewhat lost and they opened my blinded eyes to what i truly needed and that was to lean on him. HE IS SOOOOOO REAL and IF YOU NEED HIM HE IS ALWAYS BY YOU and will never leave you nor forsake you. LEAN on him and he will take care of everything else.
DeleteWe have always had war homeless disease the war in Jerusalem hasn't stoped since the bible was written. All people are evil you can act like you are better then the rest but you probably still eat innocent animals eat fruit that wad produced by countries with children living in poverty and disease and go to the walmart to fill your house with a bunch of crap that people in third world countries are forced to make so they can live depressing meaningless lives. One day the apocalypse will happen but whu do you think God wants to save us look and I mean really think of we all have done to his creations.
ReplyDeleteHi Linsie,
DeleteYou are absolutely right, homelessness, disease, and war have always been with us, since Genesis 4 when the third person on earth killed the fourth. (Cain & Abel). The problem is, Christians aren't better than anyone else and a true Christian would never propose that. What is good in us is Jesus. In fact, once becoming a Christian, what we come to understand is not that we are better than anyone else, but now we know we are MUCH WORSE than we thought we were. Our sin problem and our depravity are shown to us by the fact that we now see Jesus as He is - perfectly holy. ALL people in earth need Jesus as savior because all people sin. We are all the same that way. One day the apocalypse will happen, and who I think God wants to save isn't under question. It's a known fact. He saves those who believe on His Son. "Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”" John 6:29
it's strange how your God, who would punish you for your sins in the worst possible ways and would make you suffer for all you've done would just forgive you if you turn one day and say "sorry" and follow his child. I don't understand how such a "forgiving and kind" God would allow the world to suffer so much for so long, how he would let his children (such as those in third world countries with no access to clean water, exposed to rape and violence) go through such misery. Even if they're sufferings are greeted with an eternity in heaven with Him is that how a parent looks out for his children? And such people in third world countries, what if they were not educated about your God, would he punish them for their sins since they do not believe in him? Not to be disrespectful to your beliefs, it's just even by reading His bible and talking to his followers, it seems to me that many people follow this with a blindfold on, not completely convinced themselves.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
DeleteI used to think exactly as you do. It IS strange that God would punish for sins but then forgive us instantly if we repented. That is because He is a forgiving God. We sin against Him constantly, yet He is ready to forgive.
He is also judge and holy. He will not overlook sin. He as a good father does look out for us, He sent His only Son to live a perfect life, die on the cross in excruciating pain as the sacrifice for our sins, separated from Him, and be buried as a pauper, so that we could be forgiven of OUR sins. That is how this Father looks out for His children.
I agree many people shallowly follow Jesus without knowing what they are doing. No doubt many are Christians in name only, which is to say, not Christian at all, but they think they are. I agree some are not completely convinced themselves.
But the true believers are guaranteed with a deposit of the Holy Spirit Himself inside us, who will keep us and grow us and convince us. THAT is how a good Father acts, He gave us His Son AND His Spirit. He gives us His heaven, His treasures, His Word. I'm looking forward to seeing Him in person. I'm not scared because I have been forgiven of my sins. For all those who have not repented of their sins and asked the resurrected Jesus to forgive them, because "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31
I'm new to this all but something told me a guy feeling to read this book called dantes inferno. Although dantes journey most likely never happened its opened my eyes. Not being baptized I was not forgiven for the sin that comes with birth. For the first time i decided to open my mind and soul to God. I've had a completely different view of everything now if I do something bad I immediately think of sin. But I know that god in a way knew man would sin and that he is always willing to forgive as long as you accept him. I was happy to read this article but I'm not clear on one thing that i came here to read. I was wondering what happened to all souls when the apocalypse comes.
ReplyDeleteHi Mason,
DeleteWelcome and I'm so glad you read this and commented.
The Gospel is believing, as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," belief and the faith that comes with it is having repented of your sins to Jesus and trusting in Him for all things, including His will for your life. It involves obedience to His statutes, and obedience over the long term is how we can be assured of our faith in Him, that it is not just head knowledge but true God-given faith. There are many as prophesied in Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
So, your question, what happens to souls during the apocalypse? I will take it to mean that you mean the time after the rapture. The rapture is when God physically resurrects believers from the beginning of history and along with presently living believers, lifts us to heaven alive translating our bodies into glorified bodies along the way. (It all happens in a blink of an eye). He removes His Bride from the earth and then begins the time when God hurls his stored-up wrath to the remaining humans left behind. The church age will have concluded. The souls who had believed in Jesus (repented of their sins and obey him) will be taken out of the way of all that.
Of the humans left behind, two destinies await them. One path is that many will come to believe in Jesus after the rapture. It will be a time of salvation. Bloody and horrible, but saved. Others will be hardened in their sins (as Pharaoh was) and will rebel against Jesus to the bitter end. Of the souls who believe in Jesus, most of them will be martyred by the antichrist thru beheading (Revelation 20:4) who will hunt them down. We see their souls in heaven in Rev 7:13-15. Of those who escaped the hunt-down of Christians & made it thru the Tribulation, they will be alive and re-populate the earth in the aftermath, where Jesus sets up his kingdom and rules on earth for 1000 years.
Of the non-believers who refused to repent, (Revelation 9:21, Revelation 16:11) they are judged as per Matthew 25:46 and go to eternal punishment.