The Time of Jacob’s Trouble – Part 4

Time of Jacob’s Trouble

 

Now we get into what I would deem to be the true portion of the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), the Great Tribulation, the true judgments of the world beginning to come to point where the seriousness of the situation could not possibly be underestimated.  Yet in our day and age, at the moment of this writing, there are some who suppose that we are in this timeframe already. 

 

Just the other day I happened upon an article from someone who writes regularly and has quite a large following.  While his articles are often interesting, I also find them frustrating and find myself angry (Ps. 139:21) at the lack of understanding, knowing that he is misleading his readers.  In fact I wish that someone would put him in his place and cast down his false and misleading words that he writes pertaining to such end time events and the Rapture.  For he promotes false doctrine and his following is probably in the millions, if not tens of millions. 

 

Well in one of his latest articles he talks about how things are going to get worse before they get better (he speaks as a prophetic Bible scholar declaring things he knows nothing about) and ends with Jesus coming back to fix things.  The idea behind it is these evil people who run and control the world, our world leaders, those ‘elite’ are going to be stopped by Jesus upon His return and that things will get really bad for us (them) until that happens.  Well there is a problem with this way of thinking and that problem is actually quite common.

 

The percept is simply that there are a lot of evil people out there in board rooms, in our political spheres, gigantic corporations running stuff, etc.  That these people, being the thread of those who write such things, are going to be judged by Jesus, but the readers of such are going to be consumed by the evildoers and the judgments of God are going to effect the world inhabitants.

 

In a nutshell, those who are not preppers, those who are not prepared will quite likely fall victim to the policies and the end time events.  However, according to such a vain philosophy, those who are prepared and supposedly saved, meaning they believe in Jesus, their guidelines, not the Bible’s (Ja. 2:19), are likely to make it until Jesus stops these people.  Well there is a problem with their thinking and that quite simply would also show the big problem with the church’s lack of preaching repentance. 

 

These people do not consider themselves to be worthy of God’s just Judgment.  They consider themselves to be good people.  While they will repeat some words of a preacher or claim to be Christians, their hearts are far from the truth for they do not see their true condition as God sees it.  They do not understand the actual problem being sin and they do not consider the great and awesome gift that God bestowed upon mankind by providing Salvation through Jesus Christ, His Son, who died on the Cross and rose again from the dead to sit at the right hand of God.  For Christ paid the penalty for our sins, should we repent towards God and by faith believe into Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Yet if we do not consider ourselves needing to repent, this also means that we do not consider ourselves to be guilty before God Almighty.  So then why did Christ die on the Cross?  Why did He pay the penalty for our sins?

 

“No one has ascended to Heaven but He who came down from Heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in Heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone believing into Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  The one believing into Him is not judged; but the one not believing is judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  But the one doing the truth comes to the Light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been worked in God.”  John 3:13-21

 

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men that is required for us to be saved.”  Acts 4:12

 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are being kept safe, if you hold fast that Word which I preached to you; unless you believe in vain.  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until the present time, but some have fallen asleep.  After that He was seen by Jacob, then by each of the apostles.  Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one of untimely birth.”  1^st Corinthians 15:1-8

 

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider clinging, to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found comprised as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Philippians 2:5-11

 

“Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”  Luke 22:69

 

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but gave Himself over to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”  1 Peter 2:21-25

 

…“testifying both to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Acts 20:21

 

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has established a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has appointed. He has given assurance of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:30-31

 

We must all recognize that we are guilty and worthy of Judgment from the Most High.  We must realize that God has provided Salvation as a free gift to all who will receive it, that means you as well. 

 

So the mindset of these people being no different than the average folks.  For rarely around a funeral will someone suggest that the person who died is in Hell, in nearly all cases, whether Catholic or Protestant, even many others, that person is considered to be in Heaven or with other religions, in some sort of better place, whatever they might call it.  Only in certain circumstances where a known evil person dies will the majority consider that person to be burning in Hell. 

 

The problem that lies with this type of thinking, both throughout the churches, as well as in our cultures around the world and even pertaining to the prophesied end time events is that people consider themselves to be unworthy of God’s just Judgment.  They are null and void of any major wrongdoing (so they think) that would require such measures to be utilized against their unrepentant hearts. 

 

Well the Bible states this about Hell:

 

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire having been prepared for the devil and his angels:”…  Matthew 25:41

 

So here you see those on Christ’s left hand (read the whole passage for yourselves) being cast into the ‘everlasting fire’ which was ‘prepared for the devil and his angels’.  So here is a clear example of those who are not Saved being given the same end result of everlasting fire as Satan and his demons.  Furthermore, as mentioned that people see those who run the world, the ‘elite’, as being also worthy of such judgment, and the Bible agrees, let me place such a passage of Scripture here that proves they are correct.

 

“Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers who struck peoples in wrath, strokes without letup, ruling the nations in anger, a persecution without restraint.  The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing.  Yea, the noble trees rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since you have been laid down, no woodcutter comes up against us.  Sheol from below is excited over you, to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the dead for you, all the chief of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.  All of them shall speak and say to you, Are you also as weak as we? Have you become like us?  Your arrogance is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of your lutes. The maggot is spread under you, and the worms cover you.  How you are fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!  For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of the Mighty God; I will also sit on the mount of the appointed assembly, in the recesses of the north.  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the recesses of the Pit.  Those who see you shall stare at you and consider diligently, saying, Is this the man who made the earth to tremble; who shook kingdoms;  who made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed its cities; who did not open the house for his prisoners?”  Isaiah 14:5-17

 

I think unfortunately for many they will go to the grave assuming they are not worthy of eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire.  They will not have believed the Gospel, they will have chosen another way, one in which they shall not prevail.  Even these rulers, these kings, these elite, those of whom many who know rightfully so will end up in the Lake of Fire, they also have their reasoning for believing that they will not. 

 

For there is a deal made, an agreement, something that is presumed certainly by some of those in positions of power who have aligned themselves with the principalities and powers of this world (Eph. 6:12), they assume to also have a solution to this problem that all who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior will end up in Hell. 

 

“And your covenant with death shall be covered over, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overwhelming scourge shall pass through, then you shall be trampled down by it.”  Isaiah 28:18

 

Whatever that agreement might be, it will not stand. 

 

The serious misconception that is held amongst many of professing Christians, is that such judgments of eternal fire are only for those who are the ‘worse of the worse’ and they do not consider that the wages of sin are death and that all have sinned.

 

…“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”…  Romans 3:23

 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

 

The Bible is quite clear that unless your name, individually, is written in the Book of Life, you also will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.  This means that unless you have repented towards God and by faith believed into Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (not just belief) then you too will end up there as well.  Do not be deceived, for the devil not only has deceived some of those who run this world with a false agreement with Sheol (Hell), but he has also deceived countless people who assume to be Saved and are not.

 

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know, yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you; unless indeed you are ones failing the test?”  2 Corinthians 13:5

 

“For this you know, that no prostitute, unclean person, nor covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one beguile you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”  Ephesians 5:5-6

 

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, prostitutes, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”  Revelation 21:8

 

“You are of the devil as your father, and the lusts of your father you purpose to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.”  John 8:44

 

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who leads the whole world astray; he was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  Revelation 12:9

 

“And the devil, who led them astray, was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away. And there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, out of the things which were written in the books.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one, according to their works.  And Death and Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.”  Revelation 20:10-15

 

So what exactly is the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7)?

 

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”  Luke 21:25-26

 

A portion of Daniel 12:1 describes it as the following, “And there shall be a time of distress, such as has not been since there was a nation until that time.”

 

“For then there will be great affliction, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be kept safe alive; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”  Mathew 24:21-22

 

This is a time like no other.  This is a time where eventually seven women will grab a hold of one man, just so that their reproach would be taken away!

 

“And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothing; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.”  Isaiah 4:1

 

This is the time where two out of every three Jewish people will be killed, which is a better percentage than that of the rest of the world.

 

“And it shall come to pass in all the land, says Jehovah, that two parts in it shall be cut off and perish, but the third shall be left in it.  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined. And I will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, It is My people, and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.”  Zechariah 13:8-9

 

This is the time of the Great Tribulation discussed in Isaiah 24 and Joel 2-3. 

 

“Behold, Jehovah empties the earth and makes it bare, and distorts its face, and scatters its inhabitants.  And as it is with the people, so it shall be with the priest; as with the servant, so with the master; as with the maid, so it is with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.  The land shall be completely emptied, and utterly plundered; for Jehovah has spoken this Word.  The earth mourns and fades away; the world droops and fades away; the haughty people of the earth grow feeble.  The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, and have broken the perpetual covenant.  Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are held guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.  The new wine mourns, the vine droops, all the merry-hearted sigh.  The mirth of the tambourines ceases; the tumult of the jubilant ends; the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.  The city of emptiness is broken down; every house is shut up so that no one may come in.  There is a cry for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land has gone.  Desolation is left in the city, and the gate is battered and destroyed.  For so it is in the midst of the land among the people. It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, and as gleanings of grapes when the vintage has been finished.  They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of Jehovah, they shall cry aloud from the sea.  Therefore glorify Jehovah in the light of the fire, the name of the Lord Jehovah of Israel from the seashores.  From the ends of the earth we have heard songs, glory to the righteous. But I said, Leanness to me! Leanness to me! Woe to me! Deceivers deceive, even with treachery. Deceivers deceive!  Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.  And it shall be that he who flees from the sound of terror shall fall into the pit. And he who comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth quake.  The earth has been badly broken! The earth is split open and cracked through! The earth has shaken greatly and is tottering!  Like a drunkard the earth is staggering back and forth! And it sways to and fro like a hut! Its transgressions have been heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again.  And it shall come to pass in that day that Jehovah will punish the host of the haughty ones on high; and on earth, the kings of the earth.  And they shall be gathered, as prisoners are gathered in a dungeon. And they shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days they shall be visited.  Then the moon shall be abashed, and the sun shall be ashamed, when Jehovah of Hosts shall reign on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and before His elders, in splendor.”  Isaiah 24

 

“Blow the shofar in Zion, and shout an alarm in My holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. For the day of Jehovah approaches, it is near;
2 a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread out on the mountains, a great and a strong people. There has never been the like, nor shall there ever be again to the years of many generations;
3 a fire devours before them, and a flame burns behind them. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them is a desolate wilderness; yea, also nothing shall escape them.
4 Their appearance is like horses; and as horsemen, so they run.
5 They leap on the tops of the mountains with a sound like chariots, like the sound of flames of fire that devour the chaff, as a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before their face the people writhe in pain; all faces gather heat.
7 They run like mighty ones; they go up the wall as men of war. And they each go on his way, and they do not break ranks.
8 And each does not press his brother; they each go in their own paths. And if they fall behind their weapon, they are not cut off.
9 They run to and fro in the city; they run on the wall; they climb up on the houses; they enter in by the windows, like a thief.
10 The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars withdraw their brightness.
11 And Jehovah gives His voice before His army, for His camp is very great. For he who does His Word is strong. For the day of Jehovah is very great and terrifying, and who can endure it?
12 Yet even now turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, declares Jehovah.
13 So, tear your heart, and not your garments; and return to Jehovah your God. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He has compassion concerning the evil.
14 Who knows if He will turn and have pity and leave a blessing behind Him, a food offering and a drink offering for Jehovah your God?
15 Blow the shofar in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a solemn assembly.
16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his chamber, and the bride out of her room.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar; and let them say, Have compassion on Your people, O Jehovah, and do not give Your possession to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
18 Then Jehovah will be jealous for His land and have pity on His people.
19 Yea, Jehovah will answer and say to His people, Behold, I will send you grain, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied with it. And I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.
20 But I will remove the northern army far from you, and I will drive him into a dry and desolate land with his face toward the eastern sea, and his back toward the western sea. And his stench shall come up, and his foul odor shall rise, because he did things to magnify himself.
21 Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice, for Jehovah will do things to magnify Himself.
22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness grow green, for the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, you sons of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God. For He has given to you the early rain according to righteousness, and He will cause the rain to come down for you, the early rain and the latter rain in the first month.
24 And the threshing floors shall be full with grain, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the locust larvae, and the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied; and you shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame.
27 And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is no other. And My people shall never be put to shame.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
29 And also I will pour out My Spirit on the menservants and on the maidservants in those days.
30 And I will show signs in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Jehovah.
32 And it shall be, that whoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall escape. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as Jehovah has said, and among the survivors whom Jehovah shall call.

Joel 3

1 For, behold, in those days and in that time, when I bring back again the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on account of My people and My possession, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and divided up My land.
3 And they have cast lots for My people. And have given a boy as payment for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
4 And also, what are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you restore a recompense to Me? And if you are dealing out to Me, I will return your dealings upon your own head, swiftly, speedily,
5 because you have taken My silver and My gold and have carried My desirable good things to your temples.
6 You have also sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you might remove them far from their borders.
7 Behold, I will arouse them from the place where you have sold them, and will return your dealings upon your own head.
8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off. For Jehovah has spoken.
9 Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate a war; wake up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, I am strong.
11 Assemble yourselves and come, all you nations; and gather yourselves together all around. O Jehovah, bring down Your mighty ones.
12 Let the nations be awakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit to judge all the nations all around.
13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down, for the press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their brightness.
16 Jehovah roars from Zion, and He utters His voice from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth quake. But Jehovah is a refuge for His people and a fortress to the sons of Israel.
17 And you shall know that I am Jehovah your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and foreigners shall no more pass through her.
18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drip with new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the ravines of Judah shall flow with waters. And a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and it shall water the valley of Shittim.
19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they poured out in their land.
20 But Judah will dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 For I will acquit them of the guilt of blood which I had not acquitted; for Jehovah dwells in Zion.”  Joel 2 & 3

 

This is a time when men will become few on earth, where their hearts will fail them (Lk. 21:26).  This a time where the our great cities of the world will become heaps, our large buildings will empty out, the stench of death from the bodies everywhere will be in the air.  This is a time where men will be worshiping the Antichrist, where the mark of the beast will be fully operational, where man will have to make a final choice to whom their allegiance is to.  Each individual will have to make a final choice to repent towards God or else receive a full retribution for their wickedness as they are led away as a soldier to the battle of Armageddon to receive the full measure of God’s wrath upon themselves or simply also end up in the Lake of Fire through death.

 

This is a time of trouble, a great trouble, an affliction, a great affliction, the likes which the world has never seen nor ever will again.  This is a time, whereas Jesus said, if the days were not shortened, no man would remain alive (Mt. 24:22).  This is a time where those who have ears to hear and eyes to see can still repent of their sins and cling unto Jesus, marching towards martyrdom in a world that is literally heading right towards the Day of Jehovah.

 

This is the time where God’s hand of mercy is still extended to those who wish to partake of it, yet this is also a time where God’s wrath is beginning to be meted out to the inhabitants of the earth with the culmination not that far off in the future.  This is also the time where the daughter of Babylon will be destroyed, the revived Roman Empire. 

 

“Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!  She did not give heed to the voice; she did not receive correction; she did not trust in Jehovah; she did not draw near to her God.  Her rulers within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, that do not leave the bones till the morning.  Her prophets are wanton, treacherous people; her priests have profaned the sanctuary; they have done violence to the Law.  The righteous Jehovah is in her midst; He will do no wrong. Every morning He gives His justice to the light; He does not fail, but the unjust knows no shame.  I have cut off nations; their towers are desolate. I made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are laid waste, without a man, with no inhabitant.  I said, Surely you will fear Me; you will receive instruction; so that her dwelling should not be cut off, all that I appointed for her. But they rose up early; they corrupted all their doings.  Therefore, wait for Me, declares Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey. For My judgment is to gather the nations, for Me to gather the kingdoms, to pour My fury out on them, all My burning anger. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.”  Zephaniah 3:1-8

 

So what exactly causes the cities to be empty, the towers to be desolate, men to become scarce?  What sorts of things happen?  Let’s take a look at some of these things and ponder where we can, but also with others, just let the Word of God speak for itself, knowing that God’s Word will always come to pass and sometimes we just won’t be able to figure out how exactly such things are going to occur.  Eventually this time will end at the battle of Armageddon with the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His saints.

 

In Hosea 6:2 an amazing prophecy is written that really sheds light on the days in which we live.

 

“After two days He will restore us to life. In the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His presence.”  Hosea 6:2

 

This is speaking of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world.  Now consider the following verse:

 

“But, beloved, do not be unaware of this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”  2 Peter 3:8

 

Nearly 2,000 years have passed since Jesus went to sit at the right hand of God.  Do not assume this is an exact, down to the year ordeal.  As some would have considered the year 2000 to be the fulfillment, perhaps others might consider it to be 2,000 years from the start of Jesus’s ministry or perhaps from the start of His Resurrection (Acts 17:31).  What this tells me is that we certainly live in the timeframe of this being ripe. 

 

There are the 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel.  These can not be touched and will go through the Tribulation unscathed.

 

“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.  Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.  And I heard the number of those who were sealed: One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.  Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.”  Revelation 7:1-8

 

For during that time Satan will be trying to destroy Israel and root them up from out of the earth, though he will be unsuccessful in doing so.

 

“And another sign appeared in the heavens: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.  And his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, in order to devour her Child as soon as it was born.”  Revelation 12:3-4

 

There will be signs during those times…

 

“The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars withdraw their brightness.”  Joel 2:10

 

“The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their brightness.”  Joel 3:15

 

“And immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”  Matthew 24:29

 

Speaking of these signs, note that they appear to be at the very end???  For Matthew speaks of ‘after the affliction of those days’ and afterwards there seems to be a fulfillment of Zechariah???

 

“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and then all the tribes of the earth will wail, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”  Matthew 24:30

 

“And they shall look on Me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they shall be bitter over Him, like the bitterness over the firstborn.”  Zechariah 12:10b

 

Imagine the timeframe, when at the end of the end, or rather at the battle of Armageddon (more later), when the multitudes are there.  What is going on?  Why would mankind think that they could dare go against the one who Created the heavens and the earth?

 

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.”  Joel 3:14

 

That day will happen, there will be those multitudes in the valley of decision.  Knowing what the Bible describes to happen at the day of Jehovah, woe unto them!  They have erred greatly!!

 

At some point prior to these things, there will be a war in Heaven, Satan will have been judged.

 

“And war broke out in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in Heaven any longer.  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who leads the whole world astray; he was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.  And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb and through the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives unto death.  Therefore rejoice, O Heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time left.  And when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.”  Revelation 12:7-13

 

The Bible prophesied nearly 2,000 years ago that the great Euphrates river would be dried up.  This eventually culminating to the battle of Armageddon.

 

The interesting thing is that Turkey has the power via a dam to stop the Euphrates river.  Whether or not that is how the Euphrates River is dried up or not will remain a question. 

 

“And the sixth angel poured out his bowl onto the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, that he not walk naked and they see his shame.  And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

 

Let’s take a look at Zephaniah 3:6-8 in more detail, pondering…

 

“I have cut off nations; their towers are desolate. I made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are laid waste, without a man, with no inhabitant.  I said, Surely you will fear Me; you will receive instruction; so that her dwelling should not be cut off, all that I appointed for her. But they rose up early; they corrupted all their doings.  Therefore, wait for Me, declares Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey. For My judgment is to gather the nations, for Me to gather the kingdoms, to pour My fury out on them, all My burning anger. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.”  Zephaniah 3:6-8

 

The final judgment will be the battle of Armageddon, yet there will be many judgments that will happen before these judgments that will be mentioned here to a fairly large extent.  These judgments will cause cities to be laid waste and empty towers, places without a man.  Could you even fathom such a scenario?!

 

I’ll take my current small town of Alpena, Michigan as an example.  As I write this, there is a steady stream of cars going to and fro down the road, heading to their destinations.  Some of my neighbors are home, their vehicles in their driveways.  Earlier in the day I went into town and stopped at Meijer (a store like Walmart) and picked up a few groceries, the store had a fair amount of business, a decent amount of cars in the lot. 

 

Now just a small town like this to be empty, the buildings empty, the streets laid waste, people absent, not finding a soul, would be remarkable.  The seriousness of that couldn’t be understated.  However, our world has much larger cities.

 

I recall once when I was in San José, Costa Rica.  While I was in that city I met a man who had been to Chicago.  I was looking for a store and he had me follow him up and down old roads, full of quaint looking buildings to finally we reached our destination, more than a mile away.  Later my family and I went for a walk, checking out some of the city closest to our hotel room.  Quite a nice city, but could you imagine a city that size empty!  The streets laid waste, the buildings without inhabitants! 

 

At least when I walked around I met a man who spoke some broken English and was friendly, both of us asking and answering questions about our native lands, yet to be in such a place without a soul would be surreal.  This is where the world will be towards the end of the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), prior to the battle of Armageddon.  This will not be a time where there is one city here desolate and another thriving, no the Bible clearly says that the cities are laid waste and the towers are empty.  What causes this is the same thing that I was pondering today.

 

This subsection within this section started off by trying to make people realize that indeed they are guilty before their Creator and they too, without Christ, will end up in the Lake of Fire, but I could have went further and now will. 

 

For those who think that the world was in the Tribulation before it was in the Tribulation, why is your response only to tell others of the horrors to come, to tell people to move here or there or stock up on supplies?!  Would not a godly response be one where if people really thought the Tribulation had begun (and perhaps you are reading this and you really are in it already) that they would fall on their faces before their Creator repenting of their sins, calling out to God?!

 

When you consider the scope of the desolation of the earth and ponder that with the mark of the beast, then it would seem logical to wonder how many places would be left that would distribute goods and services?  Would there be a local Walmart left that would have any sort of sense of normalcy??? 

 

Things are getting difficult enough now with supply issues and empty shelves across the world, saying nothing of the coming time of even more severe famines and shortages that will happen.  If right now, a simple crisis such as COVID is causing so much strain on the system, due to shortages in raw materials and workers, how much more when many of these people are dead?  The demand will certainly be much less, as there will not be nearly as many people, but consider this. 

 

“Woe is me! For I am like the gatherings of summer fruit, like the gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat; my soul desires the first-ripe fruit.  The good man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind. All of them lie in wait for blood; each one hunts his brother with a net.  Both hands are on evil, to do it well. Both the ruler and the judge ask for a bribe. And the great one speaks the lust of his soul; and they weave it together.  The best of them is like a thorn; the upright more than a hedge of thorns. The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; now shall be their perplexity.  Put no faith in a companion; put no trust in a friend; keep the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom; for the son dishonors the father; the daughter rises up against her mother; the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.”  Micah 7:1-6

 

Trust in our society has taken a hit.  Our politicians lie to us, as well as our coworkers, even our friends and family.  In such a time as this, when every day is a day of life verses death and people are trying to get the goods they need, the food to eat for the day, trying to survive, the men and women that are left will likely be enemies.  As time goes on further during this time period, there will come a time (more later) will God will draw a FINAL line in the sand, then where there were still a few men and women with integrity left, they too will be gone.  You yourself will vanish and either have been on the side that is for God or those who are left for the final Judgment from God. 

 

I know a thing or two about government surveillance against citizens, in fact I probably know numerous times more than the average person.  My family and I have had first hand interference with these people (you can get a free copy of Of Missing Persons by visiting www.allwillstand.org, detailing our story), this also includes Brandon who also moved to Kalispell, Montana due to problems with spooks.

 

Now if I were to consider the complexity of evading detection of federal agents and add in that every neighbor, stranger who I would happen to pass by, family member or even friend would turn and become reporters to the ultimate police state that will exist in this time frame, there would be no hope in my mind of evading detection, at least not with the means that are available to me.  The world will become an ultimate police state during this timeframe and total control will be exerted by the Antichrist world government system.

 

This system is already in place and is getting stronger and stronger year by year.  In Of Missing Persons, the last version where I make mention of there being nowhere to hide, the reality is we almost live in a world like that today.  Is it still possible?  Well yes, but it is expensive, time consuming and requires a lot of thought and carefully planning that must be executed perfectly. 

 

Apparently these fiends of mine do not appreciate these writings about some of the things that both me and Brandon have in the past wrote about and I still do continue to write, as I believe the Lord leads to do so.  My intention is not to purposely write things to wake the sleeping dogs, but rather to simply put the Truth of God out there, the Bible’s Truth, so that clearly people can see, if they chose, the times we live in and where the future is going.

 

As will be mentioned a bit later, both the mark of the beast and the image of the beast will take quite some technology and a very stealth police state to fully implement.  Rest assured, these things could happen at any moment and China’s social credit system is certainly an eye-wakening system that should more than show a real life example, not to say the vaccine passports that are starting to be used in the United States and throughout much of the world.  These are dangerous times indeed. 

 

Yet the danger only goes so far if we are truly Saved.  For our lives are in God’s hands and nothing will befall us that is outside of His will.  Truly the enemy might lurk about in the shadows, but God will set our tables full of food in front of our enemies (Ps. 23:5), should it be in His will to do so.  This I know first hand.

 

As the world appears to be approaching what will be discussed here more in, that being the time of the Tribulation, things might get worse and worse prior to that time.  Truly it is hard to know just how bad things might get, but one thing is certain, they will never be as bad as they will be during the Tribulation for those who are Left Behind.

 

Right now we live in a time period where there is persecution against Believers in much of the world.  In fact in some countries it can not only be destruction of one’s personal belongings of this world, but it can also be the lost of life of oneself or even one’s family.  In some countries it could be imprisonment, in others it could simply be some name calling or shouting in one’s face, of which I am no stranger to that having happened. 

 

During the Tribulation things will progress and the evil plot to be carried out by Satan, the Antichrist and his governmental system will certainly be against Believers who become Saved during that time.

 

For though the earth has its darkest moment when the Rapture happens, as not a single person (except perhaps the Two Witnesses, if they were to be alive on the earth at that time???) who is Saved is left on the earth.  At that moment everyone who is here on the earth is lost, even if they have a vestige of religious character. 

 

During the Tribulation people get Saved, there are those who will repent and accept the free gift of Salvation and that number will be large.  Those people though will be overcome by the Antichrist in the second half of the Tribulation.  While their soul will be Saved and they will be one of those awaiting God’s just Judgment to be completed upon the assailants, they will be martyred.  Might there be some sparing on behalf of God regarding an individual here or there, perhaps, but I tend to think not as the Antichrist will have the authority to overcome the Tribulation saints.

 

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one was able to number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!  And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and did homage to God, saying: Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.  Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?  And I said to him, Sir, you know. So he said to me, These are the ones coming out of great affliction, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.  They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not fall on them, nor any burning heat;  for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 7:9-17

 

There used to be reports of guillotines found in Montana that were quite popular on the internet.  Whether or not such things were found is not known, but there was a reason that people were looking for such things, they knew that the Bible spoke of people being beheaded during the Tribulation. 

 

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not done homage to the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”  Revelation 20:4

 

While it was mentioned that mankind would be out to report one another, a segregated society, an example of what we could see with rules and regulations, regarding vac.ci.nation status, also pitting one group of people against another; vac.ci.nated vs. unvac.ci.nated.  Please note, as mentioned elsewhere, these people who are Saved and martyred were not just a ‘patriot’ who refused the mark of the beast or refused to do homage to the beast or his image, these were people who were washed in the blood of Christ.  Truly they will not love their lives unto death.

 

(The extra periods (.) are trying to avoid AI censorship.  😎  )

 

“And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb and through the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives unto death.”  Revelation 12:11

 

…..

A special note to those who are reading this and who were Left Behind.  Depending on how far along you are during the Tribulation, things will just get worse and worse and mankind will progress along those lines.  Those who refuse to repent will only harden their hearts against their Creator more and more. 

 

First and foremost you need to seek God and obtain the free gift of Salvation through realizing that you are a sinner, you are guilty of God’s judgment, you are guilty of eternal hellfire and then repenting towards God and accepting the free gift of Salvation by putting your faith into Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. 

 

Secondly, ensure you have a good copy of the Bible, like the King James Version, or if you can find no other, take what you can.  For the time will come when the Word of God will be nearly impossible to find.  The assumption here being that the Bible will have been outlawed, as it being so readily available to purchase nowadays or to read online for free, though it seems unfathomable, nonetheless, God has forewarned, it will become very difficult or impossible to find.

 

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine into the land, not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for water, but rather a famine for hearing the Words of Jehovah.  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall roam to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, and they shall not find it.”  Amos 8:11-12

 

Next you have got to understand that unless a person has truly become a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), who really can you trust with doctrine?  Sure you might find some good books, but I will tell you that newborn Believers have the tendency to get blown around by winds of doctrine that are false when they are first Saved.

 

… “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,”  Ephesians 4:14

 

Simply put:

 

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

 

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?  Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:36-40

 

If you happen to find Salvation during the early part of the Tribulation, certainly know for sure that things are going to get really bad, even if at the moment the world has some sort of sense of normalcy.  Just as COVID turned the world’s normalcy upside down, so too these events, perhaps still mixed with variants of COVID, will continue to slide away. 

 

Early on I would imagine that one could stow away some food and other necessary items, very carefully, using cash and not going to the same store twice (face recognition cameras at big box stores).  Of course, knowing where things are going they will have to be well hidden, probably in the woods.  One could also move themselves or their family to a better location for the meantime.  Assume that the droughts will get worse, the wildfires, the lack of water, more earthquakes, scorching heat and those sort of things. 

 

On the other hand, one could also begin to perhaps do both or simply focus on spreading the Gospel, telling others about Christ, while there is still time for them to be Saved.  However, as there will be some who will believe the lie, no matter what, and those may very well likely assume they are Saved (if that is the case, you should know by simply asking when they got Saved, if it was before the Rapture, they were not Saved and their eternal destination is probably sealed in the Lake of Fire…even if Moses and Elijah were to appear to them and warn them, they would still end up there) then move away from such.  For those who are willing to listen, tell them the Gospel, tell them about Christ.  For there is still time to bear fruit for the Lord. 

 

In most cases there probably will not be enough time to grow to maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:13).  Just be faithful to serving Christ and you will be fine, be faithful even unto death.

 

“For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.”  Psalms 48:14

 

“We are confident, yes, preferring rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”  2 Corinthians 5:8

 

Times will get tough as will now be discussed at large.  You will eventually be reported, caught and likely beheaded for your testimony as a servant of Jesus Christ.  Then again those who dwell on the earth will by and large perish, their bodies set as dung upon the earth, where they will await the Great White Throne judgment as they stand before their Creator and are cast into the Lake of Fire for all of eternity.

 

“And in that day the slain of Jehovah shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be mourned, nor gathered, nor buried. They shall be as dung on the ground.”  Jeremiah 25:33

 

…..

 

Continuing on where we left off discussing these things to those who have not yet been Left Behind…

 

Eventually those who refuse the mark of the beast or do homage to the beast or the image of the beast will become full fledged enemies of the state.  For those who get Saved during that time period, you can instantly consider yourself an enemy of the state, whether or not the other things are yet in full motion.  Unfortunately, as you will see, all Believers will become enemies of the state and will be hunted down. 

 

Speaking of the Antichrist…

“And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”  Revelation 13:7

 

This will happen during the second portion of the Tribulation or the time of Jacob’s trouble.  Some other accompany verses regarding this time period are the following:

 

“And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall continually harass the saints of the Most High.”  Daniel 7:25a

 

“And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy extraordinarily, and he shall prosper, and work, and destroy the mighty and the holy people.”  Daniel 8:24

 

“And those who understand among the people will instruct many. Yet they will stumble by the sword and by flame, by captivity and spoils for many days.  And when they shall stumble, they will be helped with a little help. But many will join them with hypocrisy.  And some of those who understand shall stumble, to refine and to purge them, and to make them white, unto the time of the end; for it is yet for the appointed time.”  Daniel 11:33-35

 

Now expressively the judgments that are talked about are God’s judgments against mankind, though during the process of these things, the opportunity to accept the free gift of Salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) is readily available to all men. 

 

“Behold, Jehovah empties the earth and makes it bare, and distorts its face, and scatters its inhabitants.
2 And as it is with the people, so it shall be with the priest; as with the servant, so with the master; as with the maid, so it is with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 The land shall be completely emptied, and utterly plundered; for Jehovah has spoken this Word.
4 The earth mourns and fades away; the world droops and fades away; the haughty people of the earth grow feeble.
5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, and have broken the perpetual covenant.
6 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are held guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.
7 The new wine mourns, the vine droops, all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The mirth of the tambourines ceases; the tumult of the jubilant ends; the joy of the harp ceases.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of emptiness is broken down; every house is shut up so that no one may come in.
11 There is a cry for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land has gone.
12 Desolation is left in the city, and the gate is battered and destroyed.
13 For so it is in the midst of the land among the people. It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, and as gleanings of grapes when the vintage has been finished.
14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of Jehovah, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
15 Therefore glorify Jehovah in the light of the fire, the name of the Lord Jehovah of Israel from the seashores.
16 From the ends of the earth we have heard songs, glory to the righteous. But I said, Leanness to me! Leanness to me! Woe to me! Deceivers deceive, even with treachery. Deceivers deceive!
17 Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall be that he who flees from the sound of terror shall fall into the pit. And he who comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth quake.
19 The earth has been badly broken! The earth is split open and cracked through! The earth has shaken greatly and is tottering!
20 Like a drunkard the earth is staggering back and forth! And it sways to and fro like a hut! Its transgressions have been heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day that Jehovah will punish the host of the haughty ones on high; and on earth, the kings of the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered, as prisoners are gathered in a dungeon. And they shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days they shall be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be abashed, and the sun shall be ashamed, when Jehovah of Hosts shall reign on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and before His elders, in splendor.

Isaiah 25

1 O Jehovah, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonders; Your counsels of old are steadfast faithfulness.
2 For You have made a city into a heap; a fortified city into a ruin; a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore the strong people glorify You; the city of the ruthless nations shall fear You.
4 For You are a refuge to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the ruthless ones is like a storm against the wall.
5 You shall subdue the roaring of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud. The shouting of the terrible ones shall be pruned away.
6 And on this mountain Jehovah of Hosts will make a feast of fatness for all the people, a feast of the dregs of wine, of fat things full of marrow, of the dregs of refined wine.
7 And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering wrapped over all people, and the veil that is woven over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from all faces. And He will take away from all the earth the rebuke of His people. For Jehovah has spoken.
9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is Jehovah; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
10 For the hand of Jehovah shall rest on this mountain, and Moab shall be trampled under Him, even as straw is trampled in the water of a dung pit.
11 And He shall spread out His hands in their midst, as he who swims strokes to swim. And He will bring down their pride along with the deceit of their hands.
12 And the fortress of the high fort of your walls He will lay low, bring down to the ground, to the dust.

Isaiah 26

1 In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as our walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation, keeping faithfulness, may enter in.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in Jehovah forever; for in YAH JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.
5 For He brings down those who dwell on high; He lays low the lofty city; He lays it low, even to the ground; He brings it down to the dust.
6 The foot shall trample it, the feet of the poor and the steps of the weak.
7 The way of the just is equity; O Upright One, You weigh the path of the just.
8 Yea, in the way of Your judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited for You; for the desire of our soul is Your name and the remembrance of You.
9 With my soul I have desired You in the night; yea, with my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.
11 Jehovah, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see; but they shall see and be ashamed for their envy toward the people. Yes, the fire of Your enemies shall devour them.”  Isaiah 24 – 26:11