1 Thessalonians 5:9
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
King James Version (KJV)
1 Thessalonians 5:9 Context
6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 12And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
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Amir Tsarfati: Removed Before Wrath
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We’re Leaving Now – Part 1 (Hebrews 12:1-2)
I have nothing to stay in this world for, only if someone else needs to be saved yet at Lord Jesus watched day, but other than that I wanted out of here yesterday! God Bless the true believers and let’s fly Home now!
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Thank You, Jesus, for blessings received and prayers answered !!!
PRAYING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD
Father God, I now follow your command to put on the full armor of God, because my battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the unseen world.
I first pray on the Belt of Truth that it may be buckled around my waist, may I be centered and encircled by your truth dear Lord. Hem me inside all that is true and right, and may I be protected and held up by the truth of your living word, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Breastplate of righteousness, please protect my vital organs and my inner man, cover my integrity, my spirit, and my soul. Guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life, please strengthen and guard the most vulnerable places in my life with that which is right, good, and noble that I might not receive a fatal blow from the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Gospel Shoes of Peace. I choose to stand in the shoes of your good news, and on the firm foundation of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the solid eternal rock. All other ground is sinking sand, I pray that I will not slip or fall, but that my feet would be firmly fitted on your lordship, my Lord Jesus. I choose to stand on you, so that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, the eternal Rock of Ages. I receive your holy peace now my Lord, from the sole of my feet to the crown of my head, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray the Shield of Faith into my hand now. As I take up the shield of faith, I ask that you might extinguish every dart and arrow that is launched from the enemy to take me down spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and every attempt of the enemy to destroy my joy. I ask that my faith in you would make it flame out. Extinguish every flaming arrow that would come against me, my life, my family, my home, or my ministry. May my faith always be out in front of me like a shield. Give me the courage to “faith my fears” by choosing to walk by faith and not by sight, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Helmet of Salvation, that you might protect my mind from the thoughts that can lead me astray. I choose to take every thought captive, and arrest all intentioned ideas and motives that would harm others, or distract me from your holy will for me. I submit every captured thought to the Lordship of my Lord Jesus Christ, and ask that you would imprison those thoughts that are not of you my Lord. Transform my mind and renew my thinking that I may think God thoughts, and have a sober mind that is focused on your glory. Please protect me from being double minded that I may allow my mind, I reject to live an earthly life, because I choose to live a holy one, governed by you My Lord Jesus, the prince of peace, please have my mind to be saturated with the holy mind of Christ, in my Lord Jesus name.
Finally, I take up the Sword of the Spirit which is the holy word of God, I pray this powerful offensive weapon into my hand, and ask that your holy word would be fitting for every encounter I face. As the enemy gets close to me, please give me the insight, wisdom, and skill to wield the word of God to drive away the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.
May the enemy and his team flee from me, upon hearing the word of God spoken by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Give me the sword of the spirit to cut through the wiles of the devil, so that I may discern the schemes of the enemy when he is near.
With all kinds of prayers, supplication, and intercession I pray to you my Lord God as the one who fights my battles. Now that I’m in your holy powerful armor, I walk away covered and ready to face my day as you go before me, and please protect me in the midst of the spiritual warfare in this unseen world, in my Lord Jesus name.
Thank you my Lord, for the spiritual weapons of armor and prayer that you have given me. It is written no weapon formed against me shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses me.
Thank you Father God, my Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, that I am more than a conqueror in my Lord Jesus. I pray all of this in the mighty name of my Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
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PLEASE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
MAPA = MAKE AMERICA PRAY AGAIN
1 Thessalonians Chapter 5
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
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Who / What is the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6?
Students of biblical prophecy have differing views over the identity of the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7. He is called “the one who restrains” in some translations (ESV, NASB); other translations call Him “the one who holds back” (NIV), “he who letteth” (KJV), or “he who is keeping down” (YLT). Whoever the restrainer is, He is someone of great power who is hindering the advance of the Antichrist and preventing the satanic kingdom from overwhelming the world.
In his second epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul assured the church that they were not yet living in the Day of the Lord, that is, the end times’ judgment had not yet begun. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 he says, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” According to God’s timetable, the Day of the Lord and the accompanying judgment will not start until two things happen: a global rebellion occurs and the Antichrist is revealed. Paul then mentions what is currently keeping the evil in check: “And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed” (verses 6–8).
Paul does not specifically identify what or who the restraining force is, since the Thessalonians already knew. Many scholars have speculated as to the identity of the restrainer, naming the restraining force as 1) the Roman government; 2) gospel preaching; 3) the binding of Satan; 4) the providence of God; 5) the Jewish state; 6) the church; 7) the Holy Spirit; and 8) Michael the archangel. We believe the restrainer is none other than the Holy Spirit, or we could say the Holy Spirit working through the New Testament church.
Supporting the idea that the Holy Spirit within the church is the restrainer is the fact that the restrainer is referenced both as a thing (neuter gender, verse 6) and as a person (masculine gender, verse 7). Also, the power delaying Satan’s masterplan to unveil his false messiah must be of God. It makes much more sense to say that the Holy Spirit is curbing the devil than a political entity or even an angel. The Holy Spirit of God is the only Person with sufficient (supernatural) power to do this restraining.
Of course, the Spirit works through believers to accomplish this. The church, indwelt by the Spirit of God, has always been part of what holds society back from the swelling tide of lawless living. At some point, Paul says, the Spirit will “step aside” from His restraining work, allowing sin to have dominion over mankind. Second Thessalonians 2:7 can be literally rendered, “The secret of lawlessness is already working, only it cannot be revealed until he who now withholds disappears from the midst.” We believe this “disappearing from the midst” will happen at the time the church leaves the earth at the rapture. The Holy Spirit will still be present in the earth, of course, but He will be taken out of the way in the sense that His unique sin-restraining ministry—through God’s people—will be removed (see Genesis 6:3).
Second Thessalonians 2 is clear that the removal of the restrainer’s influence precedes the revealing of the Antichrist. Given free rein during the tribulation, the lawless one will “use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders” to deceive the people of the earth (verses 9–10). After the Antichrist’s time is up, the Lord Jesus will return and overthrow the man of sin by “the breath of his mouth and destroy [him] by the splendor of his coming” (verse 8). Evil is restrained right now; once the Church Age ends, the hindrance to evil will be removed, and the rebellion will seem to be winning; however, the ultimate doom of evil is sure.
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Will there be a great apostasy during the end times?
The Bible indicates that there will be a great apostasy during the end times. The “great apostasy” is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. The KJV calls it the “falling away,” while the NIV and ESV call it “the rebellion.” And that’s what an apostasy is: a rebellion, an abandonment of the truth. The end times will include a wholesale rejection of God’s revelation, a further “falling away” of an already fallen world.
The occasion of Paul’s writing to the Thessalonians was to correct some of the errors concerning the end times that the believers had heard from false teachers. Among the falsehoods was that “the day of the Lord has already come” (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The Christians in Thessalonica were afraid that Jesus had already come, they had missed the rapture, and they were now in the tribulation. Paul had already explained the rapture to them in his first letter (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). Paul writes his second letter to assure them that, contrary to what they had heard, and despite the persecution they were enduring, the “day of Christ” had not yet come.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul makes it clear that the day of the Lord, a time of worldwide judgment (Isaiah 13:6; Obadiah 1:15), will not transpire until two things happen. First, the falling away, or great apostasy, must occur. Second, the “man of lawlessness” must be revealed, he who is called the “son of perdition,” also known as the Antichrist. Once this person makes himself known, the end times will indeed have come. Numerous speculations about the identity of the man of sin, beginning in the first century, have included Caligula, Caius Caesar, Mohammed, Napoleon, and any number of Roman popes. None of them were the Antichrist.
The man of lawlessness, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, is the one who “will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” Clearly, this has not yet happened; no one since Paul’s time has set himself up as God in the Jewish temple. Two thousand years have passed since the epistle was written, and the “day of the Lord” has not yet come. Paul assures us that it will not come until the falling away comes first.
The Greek word translated “rebellion” or “falling away” in verse 3 is apostasia, from which we get the English word apostasy. It refers to a general defection from the true God, the Bible, and the Christian faith. Every age has its defectors, but the falling away at the end times will be complete and worldwide. The whole planet will be in rebellion against God and His Christ. Every coup requires a leader, and into this global apostasy will step the Antichrist. We believe this takes place after the church has been raptured from the earth.
Jesus warned the disciples concerning the final days in Matthew 24:10–12: “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” These are the characteristics of the great apostasy of the end times.
Will there be a great apostasy during the end times?
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Will there be a worldwide revival before the end times?
A revival is a spiritual reawakening in which a church or community is brought out of a state of dormancy or stagnation, resulting in changed lives and a renewed pursuit of personal righteousness. In one sense, revival can only happen among believers, since it is a restoration to life. In common usage, however, the word revival often refers to any large-scale response to evangelism in which new converts are made.
Does the Bible contain any prophecies about a worldwide revival breaking out? Yes and no. Yes, the Bible does predict times of turning to the Lord, but probably not in the sense that many people expect.
Biblically speaking, the “end times” is the period between Jesus’ ascension and His return. We are living in the final dispensation before the day of the Lord occurs. We will take a look at predictions of revival through three periods: the Church Age, the tribulation period, and the millennium.
End Times Revival in the Church Age
Many of the biblical prophets speak of an outpouring of God’s Spirit in the end times, but Peter interprets that to refer to the coming the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and perhaps the ministry of the church thereafter. In Acts 2, Peter preaches to the crowds: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. . . . This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:14–18). So, the revival prophesied in Joel 2:28–32 was fulfilled 2,000 years ago when the Church began.
During the Church Age, there has been a great revival—that is, a great influx of people into the kingdom of God, far more than there ever were in Old Testament times. If you lived in the time of the Old Testament and could see what we have today—Christians in every nation actively evangelizing and translating Scripture with the intent of reaching every tribe and language, you would probably call it an incredible revival far beyond anything you could have imagined. The same might be true if you were living in the first century during the time of the apostles. The church has grown exponentially since the day of Pentecost.
In Matthew 24:14, Jesus speaks of the gospel being preached to the whole world, “and then the end will come.” Jesus does not indicate what the response to the preaching will be, but just a few verses earlier, He said, “At that time many will turn away from the faith . . . and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matthew 24:10–12). Elsewhere, Jesus asks, rhetorically, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Jesus said He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18), and He is doing that. The Church has seen periods of revival and great growth and periods of what seems to be stagnation. But Jesus never taught that a global revival would happen in the last days before the tribulation.
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, did not seem to think there would be a worldwide revival, either: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1–2). Also, Paul wrote, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days” (2 Timothy 3:1). Note, the description of the last days: they will be “terrible”; in fact, “evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). Rather than repenting in a worldwide revival, “people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:2–5).
In another epistle, Paul again says that the last days will be characterized by apostasy, not revival: “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, CSB). Paul’s prediction of an apostasia before the Antichrist is revealed suggests that what occurs will be the opposite of a revival. It will be a falling away from the truth, as many professing believers abandon the faith and reject biblical teaching in the days leading up to the tribulation.
If the Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38—39) takes place during the Church Age, then we could see a revival of sorts in the aftermath of that conflict. The nations of the world will see God’s greatness and holiness demonstrated (Ezekiel 38:23). And, for Israel, specifically, there will be revival: “From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. . . . I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel” (Ezekiel 39:22, 29).
End Times Revival in the Tribulation
The New Testament speaks of a coming revival among the Jews/Israel. Romans 11:25 says that now, for a time, Israel is “partially hardened . . . until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (ESV). Then, “all Israel will be saved,” which seems to indicate that the Jews will one day be “softened” to the gospel and receive it. Revelation mentions what seems to be a revival among Jews during the tribulation, led by 144,000 Jewish evangelists (see Revelation 7). The tribulation will have the effect of turning Jewish hearts to their true Messiah, and this was prophesied in the Old Testament: “It is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:7, NKJV).
End Times Revival in the Millennium
Several Old Testament passages prophesy a coming age of justice, peace, and safety when the Messiah will reign from Jerusalem. During that time, which Revelation 20 says will last 1,000 years, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). That sounds like a truly worldwide revival. Also during that era, former enemies of the Lord “will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16; see also Habakkuk 2:14; Psalm 22:27; Isaiah 18:7; 19:21; 27:13; and Jeremiah 31:34). Even after that “revival” and extended time of justice and peace, many people will follow Satan in a rebellion at the end of the millennium (Revelation 20:7–9).
End Times Revival: Conclusion
Some believe that we are in the midst of, or building up to, the greatest revival in the history of the Church. We would like nothing better than for God to do a great work and bring multitudes of people into the kingdom, and we pray toward that end. A wholesale turning to God on a global scale would change this world. But Scripture seems to say that, in the days leading up to the rapture, a worldwide revival is unlikely. The last days will be a troubling and alarming time, but we take comfort in the fact that our Lord has overcome the world (John 16:33). We keep our eyes on Him and let His light shine through us, bringing glory to God as we await our Savior’s return.
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What are the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls in the Book of Revelation?
The seven seals (Revelation 6:1–17; 8:1–5), seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6–9:21; 11:15–19), and seven bowls/vials (Revelation 16:1–21) are three series of end-times judgments from God. The judgments get increasingly worse and more devastating as the end times progress. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls are connected to one another. The seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets (Revelation 8:1–5), and the seventh trumpet introduces the seven bowls (Revelation 11:15–19; 15:1–8).
The seven seals include the appearance of the Antichrist (Revelation 6:1–2), great warfare (Revelation 6:3–4), famine (Revelation 6:5–6), plague (Revelation 6:7–8), the martyrdom of believers in Christ (Revelation 6:9–11), a devastating earthquake causing terrible devastation, and astronomical upheaval (Revelation 6:12–14). Those who survive the six seals are right to cry out, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:16–17).
The seventh seal introduces the seven trumpet judgments. The trumpets include hail and fire that destroy much of the plant life in the world (Revelation 8:7), the death of much of the world’s aquatic life (Revelation 8:8–9; 8:10–11), the darkening of the sun and moon (Revelation 8:12), a plague of “demonic locusts” that torture the unsaved (Revelation 9:1–11), and the march of a demonic army that kills a third of humanity (Revelation 9:12–21).
The seventh trumpet calls forth seven angels who carry the seven bowls of God’s wrath (Revelation 11:15–19; 15:1–8). The bowl judgments include painful sores afflicting humanity (Revelation 16:2), the death of every living thing in the sea (Revelation 16:3), the turning of rivers to blood (Revelation 16:4–7), an intensifying of the sun’s heat (Revelation 16:8–9), great darkness and an intensification of the sores from the first bowl (Revelation 16:10–11), the advance of the Antichrist’s armies at Armageddon (Revelation 16:12–14), and a devastating earthquake followed by giant hailstones (Revelation 16:15–21).
Together, the seals, trumpets, and bowls of the end times comprise “the great day of [God’s] wrath” (Revelation 6:17) and serve to judge the Antichrist’s kingdom of wickedness. Revelation 16:5–7 declares of God, “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve. . . . Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
What are the seven seals seven trumpets and seven bowls in the Book of Revelation?
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Could an alien deception be part of the end times?
We know that the events surrounding the end times, as described in the Bible, will include a powerful deception (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:11). Recently, interest has been rising in the theory that this deception will include alien beings supposedly from another planet. Although the Bible gives us no word about whether or not aliens exist—there is no inclusion of them in the creation account in Genesis, and no mention of them elsewhere—the Bible does tell us about visitors from another world—the spiritual world.
Since the beginning, instances of demons (fallen angels) visiting the earth have been witnessed and recorded. We know from Eve’s encounter with Satan that demons are interested in monitoring (and altering) the progress of humanity. They want to be involved, with the goal of drawing humanity away from the worship of God and turning mankind’s attention instead to them. Another notable instance of their interaction with us is found in Genesis 6:4 with the arrival of the “sons of God.” The Genesis account states that these powerful beings had sexual intercourse with women and produced a super race of beings known as the Nephilim. This sounds like the stuff of science fiction, yet it is right there in the Bible. There are striking similarities between this account and the accounts of other ancient cultures. The writings of the ancient Sumerians, for example (who were the first to produce a written language) mention the presence of the “Anunnaki” who were deities that came from heaven to dwell on earth with men. It is also interesting to note that the Sumerians’ gods often came to them in the form of snakes.
These accounts, seen alongside the amazing things created by ancient man, make it possible to theorize that demons, in the form of beings from another world, came to earth, bringing spectacular wisdom and knowledge to men, and “intermarrying” with their daughters in an attempt to draw men away from God. We already see from Eve’s experience with the serpent that demons will use the temptation of superior wisdom to ensnare man and that man is very susceptible to it.
Could the end times include a similar alien deception? The Bible doesn’t directly address the issue, but it is certainly plausible, for a variety of reasons. First, the Bible tells us that the world will unite under the power of the Antichrist. In order to achieve an agreement between all the world’s religions, it would make sense for the “uniter” to come from an entirely new source—an extraterrestrial source. It is hard to imagine one religion becoming head of all the others, unless new, unearthly knowledge were the source of the appeal and power of the new “religion.” This would be in keeping with past deceptions and would be a very effective way to deceive a large number of people.
Second, this deception could provide an answer to the problem of earth’s origins. The scientific theory that the evolution of life on earth was spontaneously generated still has no answer for life’s beginnings. Many claim that there is evidence for a “big bang,” but there is no explanation for what caused the supposed big bang to occur. If alien beings arrived and gave us an extraterrestrial explanation for life on earth, the origins of the world religions, and even the origins of our planet, it would be very persuasive.
That said, we should not fear. The Lord has said that He will not leave us or forsake us, and that He will protect us (1 Kings 8:57; Matthew 10:31; Isaiah 41:10). Demons / angels are not omnipotent, nor are they omnipresent. Jesus said that in the end times His appearing would be like lightning—easily visible to all. He said to be wary of any being that says “I am the Christ” or any group that says “He’s over there” or “He’s in here” (Matthew 24:23-24). He said that vultures gather around a dead body, meaning that if you see a group of people gathering around someone claiming to be Christ, that person is death and a false prophet.
We should be wary of any person or being that produces signs and wonders without biblical fidelity or the presence of obedience to the Lord Jesus, anyone who provides a way to unite the world religions or governments (Revelation 13:5-8), any being that promotes unnatural sexual relationships (Genesis 6:4; Jude 1:6-7), and of course, any person who denies that Jesus is God (2 John 1:7). Furthermore, anyone who presents a “substitute” Jesus, who represents Him as “a god but not the God” or who claims He was merely a good teacher, simply a human, or even a super-human or an alien creature, is a deceiver.
Lastly, if demons manifesting as aliens are part of the end times, we should remember that they, too, are created beings subject to a sovereign God and ultimately answerable to Him. Whether in alien form or not, the descriptions of demons in Revelation are frightening (Revelation 9:1-12), but we should not fear those who can only kill the body. Instead, we should only fear the One who can kill the body and the soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). No matter what happens to us on the earth, we should trust that the Lord is the Savior, Redeemer, and Protector of the souls of those who put their trust in Him (Psalm 9:10; 22:5).
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Could an alien deception be part of the end times?
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Are there such things as aliens or UFOs?
First, we should define the terms alien and UFO. For the purposes of answering this question, the word alien or aliens refers to person-like living things from somewhere other than Earth. Likewise, we will use UFO to refer to a vehicle used by such beings. The acronym UFO literally stands for “Unidentified Flying Object.” But to say, “Unidentified flying objects exist” is self-evident; it’s like saying, “There are unsolved mysteries.” Since popular thinking associates UFOs with aliens, we will, in this article, conform to the notion that UFOs are vehicles for extraterrestrials.
We can approach the question of UFOs and aliens in two ways. First, does the Bible describe aliens or directly deny they are real? Second, does science indicate or dismiss the presence of aliens? Nothing in the Bible indicates aliens are real, but neither does any part of the Bible strictly refute their existence. As of this writing, published science has given no indication that aliens exist. Yet, while extraterrestrial life appears unlikely, it is not scientifically impossible.
The Bible says nothing about the existence of life beyond our planet or in other solar systems. Scripture speaks of God creating our home planet, Earth, but doesn’t explicitly say He did not create other life somewhere else. In theory, God could have designed other life, even intelligent life, even other “image bearers” of God (Genesis 1:27), elsewhere in the universe. But the Bible makes no reference to any such thing, one way or the other.
Some commentators point to Scripture’s silence as proof that aliens do not exist. Others note that the Bible often omits topics irrelevant to our relationship with God (John 21:25). Perhaps the only near-universal conclusion among Bible scholars is that human contact with intelligent alien life is extremely unlikely. That is to say, the question of alien life is probably irrelevant to human beings.
A concept called the “Fermi paradox” sums up the scientific stance on whether aliens exist. The paradox refers to the apparent self-contradiction between many secular assumptions about life and the universe, so far as aliens are concerned. Naturalistic science assumes the universe is extremely large, extremely old, and capable of generating life from non-living matter through an entirely natural process. That would suggest life ought to exist in many, many places in the universe. Given the theoretical abundance of life out there, we should have encountered it by now.
Yet, so far as has been publicly revealed, humanity has not encountered alien life of any kind, intelligent or otherwise. Scientists have proposed many solutions for this problem. Perhaps alien life is too “different” for us to recognize. Intelligent civilizations may tend to self-destruct or go extinct. Maybe there has not been enough time for separate worlds to communicate. Some propose that while “life” might be common, organisms advanced enough to communicate off-planet might be almost impossible. Others suggest alien life might be deliberately hiding. And, of course, it is scientifically possible that humanity is unique in all the universe, for whatever “natural” reason.
In short, science indicates it’s at least possible for life to exist somewhere other than Earth. How likely it is that extraterrestrial life exists, and whether we will ever know for sure, is subject to many assumptions and opinions. Confirmed planets outside our solar system are surprisingly rare. As few as 150 or so have been included in published studies (NASA Exoplanet Archive, https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/, accessed 7/31/23). Even in a more lenient list of exoplanets, ballooned to nearly 5,000, only 60 or so feature vaguely life-compatible conditions.
Locating extraterrestrial life among Earth’s neighbors seems unlikely. Intelligent aliens from a local planet—e.g., Martians—are all but guaranteed not to exist. Our limited exploration has entirely ruled out the possibility of life on almost every object in our solar system. Moons such as Europa and Titan give scientists hope of finding simple life forms, but detailed probes of those locations are still a long way off. Any aliens to contact us would most likely be from very far away and very advanced in technology. It’s possible that aliens would be so fundamentally different from human beings that the two might not even notice each other.
Claims of alien encounters should be met with cautious skepticism, at the very least. It’s possible that all such experiences are the work of demons or evil spirits as part of a strategy to confuse unbelievers. Or reports of UFO sightings could be the product of humanity’s love of conspiracy theories. Or a collective willingness to leave room for unlikely things to happen.
Even if fully intelligent alien life were proven real, Scripture’s truth would not be threatened. Such a discovery would certainly create difficult questions. What it would not imply is that the Bible is false or that God does not exist. Some interpretations and perhaps even some secondary doctrines would be disrupted, for sure. Yet discovering aliens would mostly reinforce the idea that mankind knows very little compared to God (Job 38).
Are there such things as aliens or UFOs?
Could an alien deception be part of the end times? Could a conspiracy involving demons impersonating aliens be the great deception in the end times?
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SANCTIFY ME, OH LORD
You are the Rock of Salvation, Lord;
Sanctified are we by Your Holy Word;
Cleansed by the Spirit – filled with Your Grace;
Obedient to Your gospel – our sins You erase!
If we are suffering by our own hand;
He is asking us – to please take a stand;
Hide not our sins from His strict scrutiny
Ignoring His truth will backfire on me!
The foundation of sanctification you see;
Is our belief in Christ Jesus who died for thee;
It is the spiritual manifestation of the divine;
Brought to fruition through David’s bloodline!
The natural union of believer and non;
Will lead to conversion and good things beyond;
It is not prudent – then – to separate the two;
Believing husbands or wives can sanctify you!
Sanctify Me, Oh Lord – by heavenly grace;
Cleanse Me, Oh Lord – by Your Spirit replace;
All worldly ambitions – and pompous pride;
Sanctify Me, Oh Lord – deep down inside!
Strengthen Me, Lord – by the power of Your Word;
Clarify this worldly fixation that is blurred;
My obedience to Your Word is barely there;
I find no inspiration – anywhere!
I am lost in the world and not the Word;
My business fails – stability unfurled;
I run around here and there – making a stop;
With no time to linger – just go till I drop!
I pray in my heart – You will bless me someday;
If I can just get the world – out of the way;
Go home to my mate – pray together for peace;
For all of this turmoil to finally cease!
Sanctify Me, Oh Lord – oh please hear my cry;
I don’t need to know the what, when or why;
Just know in my heart – I am longing for be;
Sanctified by Your Word – a servant of Thee!
D01: O7/28/2013
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Psalm 91. The most powerful prayer from the Bible. God’s protection, healing
Pray Everyday