Daniel’s look into the future church was appalling and he was deeply troubled by it. Daniel 7:28 “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.” Daniel 8:27 “I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.” This destruction that he saw was future for him, but not for the church as many are teaching over these last years. The church began to fall apart even during the life of Paul and would be defeated shortly thereafter by the abomination that causes desolation, just as Daniel prophesied. That destruction had nothing to do with a lack of power on God’s part, but everything to do with the church’s rebellion against God’s word and a continued refusal to turn back to it. Thankfully for the church, God promised David that there would always be a remnant of survivors. Jeremiah 33:19 “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’” Sadly, a remnant of survivors means many lives have been and will be lost.

    Daniel was told that the appalling visions that he saw were way off in the future. Daniel 8:26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” But John was told Revelation 22:10 “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” Today the church is nowhere near the church Jesus empowered it to be, which is due to rebellion against God’s word. In fact, everything the prophets said about Israel and Judah, also apply to the church. Rebellion always means God turns His face from His people. Zechariah 7:13 “When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty. 14 ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.”

    The power given to the church at Pentecost began to dissipate in the time of the Apostle Paul as the rebellion increased and the church refused to listen. This rebellion, of which caused God to turn His face from the church, was because of a rejection of God’s word. This meant that His words were replaced with man’s words and doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” That time came very quickly. Not only do they follow, but they teach others to do the same. There seems to always be people with itchy ears and people who will scratch them.

    Today the church is filled with false teachers and the masses who follow them without ever questioning or testing the spirits. Last week we talked about the blackest darkness that is reserved for these false teachers and prophets, yet people still teach a different jesus and other gospels and people follow them as if their words were truth. satan’s favorite deception is to ask Genesis 3:1 “Did God really say?” satan has been asking that to God’s people ever since Adam and Eve and like Eve and Adam, God’s children have been listening and following the words of satan, which is a rejection of God’s words. Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Men and women who have fallen for satan’s deceptions, stand in front of the masses and tell them what they want to hear. They have also fallen for the delusions given to them by God as have those listening to the false teachers. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” We were warned. Jeremiah 29:8 “Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.” All this was happening even during the time of Paul as Paul said 2 Corinthians 11:3 “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Minds have been deceived and deluded ever since because the church continues to follow a different jesus and other gospels. Not only does the church continue to follow the wrong voice but the church also refuses to turn away from its wickedness and return to the voice of God. John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

    It would be easy to think that since Jesus came to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”), and have the opportunity to have eternal life (John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”) and came to defeat the work of satan, (1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”), that the church would always do as Jesus did and never turn away from the way, truth and life. It is really beyond all comprehension that that church would turn away, but like Adam and Eve, Israel and Judah and the Jews, the church turned away to follow a different jesus and other gospels. The church did as Jesus did for a short time, but the church was and is no different than those who went before and rebelled just as they did. The garden was given to Adam and Eve, but they were removed from it and death entered the picture just as they were told. Genesis 2:16 “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The land of promise was given to the people and they were removed just as they were told they would be for rebelling against the word of God. Leviticus 18:28 “And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29 “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. 30 Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.’” Deuteronomy 4:25 “After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.” To think that the church could rebel and then remain as it was at the beginning is not possible, according to scripture. John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” Yet most groups and denominations today believe that they are teaching the way, truth and life and if you join with them you will inherit eternal life. If they were, the church would be doing as Jesus did with the same power and authority given at Pentecost, but it is very easy to see that the church has not and does not do as Jesus did and is powerless, in captivity and remains in desolation.

    Today the church looks nothing like the church Jesus started and is the head of. He showed us what to do and the Gospels show us the power and authority He did it in. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” Not only did He show us, He empowered His disciples to do the same. Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy. drive out demons.” At Pentecost, the church was empowered to do the same. We were given the Spirit of Truth to do as Jesus did and to know truth. Jesus warned us Matthew 24:4 “Watch out that no one deceives you.” Having the Spirit of truth is how we are not deceived by the enemy. Jesus said we would have this power. John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Jesus then said, 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.” This is what the power given to the church would look like. Acts 5:12 “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 8:5 “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.”

    It is important to understand that in order to have the Spirit of truth among us, we must be obedience, just as it has always been. John 14:23 “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” As we talked about earlier, every group who calls themselves the church believes some things similarly and others radically different from the other. These are called denominational distinctives and those who follow are indoctrinated and accept what has been taught as truth. Most do not test the spirits to see if in fact truth is present. This is where the false teachers and prophets come into play. Most people due to false teaching believe the church, that is the church they attend, is following the way, truth and life. Some will leave but just go to another group doing the same thing. Every group state that they are the right way and they say they agree to disagree with other groups but the reality is if they were honest, they only believe their way to be the way, truth and life. Agreeing to disagree but still saying everyone worships the same Jesus is nonsense. If the Spirit of truth was truly present, there would not be all these wildly different beliefs.

    There are many doctrines that have deceived the church but one of the most damaging has been the doctrine of end times. (eschatology) There are many who focus on the end times and many who do not. What has been written about the end times is almost unfathomable as the number of pages that have been written on the subject is astronomical. It is ridiculous to think about how many differing views there are, yet as one writer said, “these views differ, but they all point to the same Savior.” Actually, they don’t because as Paul said, even then they were following a different jesus and other gospels and nothing has changed since. It really is amazing how deceived and deluded people are who think that all these drastically different doctrines are actually true. Jesus said, John 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” The Holy Spirit guides into all truth and tells us what is to come, yet this group says one thing and another group says another. We must have a very confused Spirit of truth! Each group has their own version of the truth and what they think will happen in the end which means they have not been led by the Spirit of truth. In most cases scripture is ignored, added to and taken away and the words of satan are accepted as truth instead. Even though we are told not to do this, every church does this. Revelation 22:18 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” Scripture has been modified and distorted to fit in the belief system of each group. This is why testing the spirits is so important.

    We were warned that this would happen. Daniel 8:11 “It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.” Jeremiah 8:8 “How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? 9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have? 10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. 12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush.”

    It is not just end-time doctrines that have led the church astray, but for hundreds of years the word of God has been replaced with the words of man / satan. Catholicism destroyed the church and the Reformation added to that destruction. If you took the time to look up all the “isms” in the church, you would not see the church that is described in the Gospels and Acts but a church in rebellion that seeks truth from men and women. Many have been indoctrinated by one ism or another and will go to their graves believing it to be the way, truth and life, but instead will hear when it is too late, Matthew 25:41 “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” False teachers (apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists) have been leading the church astray almost from the beginning. It seems that since over 2000 years have gone by, the end times have become very prevalent. The reality is the end times have been prevalent since the disciples began preaching and telling those who listened to be ready. Jesus said Luke 12:35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” The end times begin when your life comes to an end because at that point, what you believe and how you have lived cannot be changed. Most people are not ready to die or meet Jesus, yet they have been told that they are. Peter tells us how to be ready. 2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” You can’t live holy and Godly lives if you are following a different jesus and other gospels. Most who call themselves Christians have fallen for these lies.

    False teachers distort what scripture actually states, people believe them and all sense of urgency to live holy and Godly lives is removed. For instance, some are told that they are secure no matter what, especially if they go to church. Even though Peter said, 2 Peter 3:14 “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” Many hold to verses like Isaiah 43:13 “No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” If you are listening to the wrong voice telling you that you are secure, these verses do not apply. In both passages we see the unbelief of the people. Isaiah 43:22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel. 24 But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses. 26 Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence. 27 Your first father sinned; those I sent to teach you rebelled against me. 28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple; I consigned Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.” John 10:25 “Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.” Because of unbelief, the verses people are holding on to do not apply because they have chosen to believe the words of satan / man over the word of God.

    False teachers distort what God states in order to satisfy the appetites of those listening. Yes, people are secure when they obey the word of God, but as scripture clearly shows from the beginning, you are not secure when you rebel. People are relieved when they are told pray a prayer, get baptized, go to church and you are eternally secure. The problem here is this false teaching means that no one repents. This has happened in big way with end time doctrines. Many doctrines are based on the millennial kingdom, the 1000-year reign of Jesus on this earth. Thus, the return of Jesus is closely tied to this. For some this event is in the future and for others has already happened. For those who believe this to be a future even, the problem caused is that most are satisfied with the powerless church because that is how it is supposed to be. For those that believe it is symbolic or has already happened, the problem remains the same; there is no power. It doesn’t matter what view is held, the church is powerless and in captivity so that means it is all wrong and millions have been deceived. This is why the church needs to turn from its wicked ways and return to the word of God.

    Closely related to the millennial kingdom (1000-year reign of Jesus on earth), is the rapture (church removed), tribulation (horrors for those left behind), mark of the beast, the 3rd temple being built and they also place a strong emphasis on Israel as you can see in Us politics presently. They have these timelines that are fantastical (conceived, made, or carried out without adherence to truth or reality) and imaginative charts to describe their false teaching. They look to be real and appear to be sound doctrine and millions have fallen for it. They teach that this destruction comes way off into the future and is according to their prophetic timeline. If you see or hear the word imminent being used be very careful as to what you receive as truth.

    The church has rebelled just as Israel did by following other gospels, which is the same as following other gods. Deuteronomy 11:26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” Deuteronomy 13:1 “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 32:15 “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior. 16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. 17 They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God— gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear. 18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19 The Lord saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters. 20 “I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. 21 They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people.”

    There are many gods that the church turned to but one in particular as of late is called Dispensationalism, a doctrine of demons. One writer describes dispensationalism as “a theological system that emphasizes the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy, recognizes a distinction between Israel and the Church, and organizes the Bible into different dispensations or administrations.” “Dispensationalism became very popular among American fundamentalist and Southern Baptist churches in the 20th century, popularized by tools like the Scofield Reference Bible.” This is why study bibles can be so dangerous. Study bibles like MacArthur’s Study bible carries on these false teachings. You may have read the Left Behind series as millions did and thought it was fact. I told someone one time not to read them and they were surprised by that. Not everyone believes these false dispensational end time views, but millions do. Most others just aren’t sure. For a long time that included me. As a young person the movie “A Thief in the Night” (it was a horror movie) was shown at our non-dispensational church as if it was truth, but it scared the hell out of me for a long time. Little did I know at the time that hell / doctrines of demons entered the church. There was no teaching to correct these false teaching and was accepted as truth. Although I can’t now find the connection, I am sure that the Billy Graham Association was behind it, therefore it must be good. Wrong! Billy Graham taught false doctrines. There were other Billy Graham events a Methodist church was involved with which was weird because Calvinism and Arminianism don’t mix. (I don’t adhere to either. I am amazed to see how many others were messed up by this movie. Now add to that the predecessor the Late Great Planet earth, the Left Behind series, the movies and you can see why this false teaching was so deadly in the church. That movie should never have been shown. This false teaching of the rapture has been seen by millions and with the recent viral false prediction by the “South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela that went viral on social media by predicting that the Rapture would occur on September 23 and 24, 2025.” These end time views cross denominational lines from the charismatic to the non-charismatic. There are millions of pages of information on these doctrines of demons which shows just how many in the church have been indoctrinated by the deception and delusion of these false teachings.

    The movies and Left behind series focused on the rapture and the mark of the beast. Just as every prediction about the rapture has been wrong, it will continue to be wrong because there is no such thing. Everyone knows about the mark 666 but they miss the mark you should be worried about. There will be no future mark as most have already been marked with the mark of the beast because of their rebellion. But there is a different mark on your forehead, a mark that you want to have that we should be talking about. God was talking to Ezekiel about the abominations found in the temple before it would be destroyed. Ezekiel 9:6 “And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable. 17 He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.” Now here is the mark on your forehead you should have. Ezekiel 9:1 “Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand. 3 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” 5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.”

    Many believe the temple needs to be rebuilt and that the Israel we see today is God’s chosen people. Yes, even now there are some trying to rebuild the temple and there are many Christians that believe the temple is to be rebuilt and some like John Hagee put a lot of money and pressure on the government to act in Israel’s behalf, because it is a necessary step in their false teaching. This is false teaching because the third temple has already been built; it is called the church. There will not be another building that is the temple. Even though I just said that, the church continues to build buildings as if they are the temple. Down the street from here is a church called the gospel temple, but the gospel is not preached. Stephen said Acts 7:47 “But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: 49 “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? 50 Has not my hand made all these things? Paul said Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Ephesians 2:19 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” John 14:23 “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”

    The rapture of the church is ridiculous and is a doctrine of demons. This is Anne Graham Lotz ridiculous description. “I believe Jesus is soon to return to take all of His followers to Heaven with Him in what is referred to as The Rapture. While this will be deliverance for His people, can you imagine the impact on our nation, let alone the world, when suddenly every single authentic Christian disappears? Institutions will collapse. Banks will close. The Stock Market will plunge. Planes will fall out of the sky. Cars will crash on the road. Government in America at every level will disintegrate. Families will be torn apart. In the unprecedented turmoil, our nation will be vulnerable for our enemies to seize the moment and attack us. There will be mass chaos, confusion, fear, grief, despair, anger, threats, danger… judgment.” The true church is nowhere to be seen and the world continues. They talk about those who survive that will be saved, but there is no church, meaning God, Jesus and the Spirit of truth are not present. So many people have listened to these false teachers, feared this event, and for those who believed the dates, sold all they had and ended up in Great Disappointment. So many focus on the numbers and try to figure out the end, but no one knows (Matthew 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.) so the numbers don’t mean what people want them to mean. Numbers like the seven-year tribulation and all the teaching that goes with it is nonsense.

    As Ezekiel saw, the temple was filled with detestable / abominations things. False teaching prevents people from repenting. The tribulation is already here and the church has been decimated by the abomination that causes desolation. The good news is there will be a remnant of survivors just as there was with Israel and Judah. Jesus, after talking about the abomination said, Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.” Revelation 7:14 “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 12: They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” If you are still breathing, there is hope, so repent and turn from these wicked ways.

    In this false teaching, they teach that the abomination will desecrate the temple that is built. Some say the abomination that causes desolation is a future event and some say it has already happened when the second temple was destroyed. In order for it to be a future event, a third temple would have to be built. False teaching about this topic covers several areas. When you look into this, it just comes across as ridiculous and the word delusional really makes sense here. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” For example, listen (actually don’t) to John Hagee or look at his fantastical charts and you will see just how ludicrous this false teaching is. Here is an example from just one writer that shows the lunacy of this teaching. “When we see the Temple being constructed, we can be sure the end times are indeed upon us. The Antichrist will be reigning, the Church will already have been raptured, and the first half of the tribulation will have passed. But there will still be time for people to come to Christ for salvation.” Remember the church was taken yet people will still come to salvation. You could just write these false teachings off as people with an overactive imagination or understand that these are very powerful false teachers and have gained powerful access to the government both in Israel and the United States. These are very powerful people. If you are part of this teaching – RUN! But just as bad are those who do not talk much about the end times and are basically oblivious to the preparation needed to be a holy people when Judgement Day comes.

    These people may appear to be powerful from this world’s standards, but they are not spiritually powerful. There are also those who do not believe these delusional end times doctrines but are still false teachers who teach other gospels that are leading just as many people away from the truth. The common denominator among all false teachers is that they lead people away from the truth. This rebellion causes God to turn His face and allow the enemies of His people to be victorious. God’s people end up powerless and defeated. We saw this with Assyria and the Babylonians. Habakkuk was told Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.” Over and over they were warned this would happen. Jeremiah 25:4 “And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. 5 They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. 6 Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.” 7 “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.” 8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, 9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. 10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” This is why the land became desolate. Ezekiel 39:22 “From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.” Jeremiah 9:12 “Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? 13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. 14 Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” 15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. 16 I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.”

    What went on in the temple was detestable as God described to Ezekiel. Solomon was told 2 Chronicles 7:19 “if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’” That is exactly what happened. 2 Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. 20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.”

    The first temple was destroyed as was the second for the same reason. Now the third temple has been destroyed just as Daniel prophesied. Not only was Jesus talking about the second temple being destroyed, He was talking about the destruction of the church. Matthew 24:1 “Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Jesus then talks about the abomination that causes desolation that Daniel prophesied about and the severe destruction it would cause. Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive.”

    The destruction Daniel saw was appalling. Daniel 7:15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. 28 “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.” Daniel 8:23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. 27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.” John was also greatly astonished. Revelation 17:5 “The name written on her forehead was a mystery: babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes, and of the abominations of the earth. 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.”

    False teaching is a deflection as to what is really happening and that is the destruction of the church. Like Israel and Judah, God has allowed the church to be destroyed by the abomination that causes desolation. Today the church is in tribulation and very few are surviving. The worst kind of tribulation is going to church and thinking all is well with your soul. 2 Peter 1:19 “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Then Peter makes it clear that not every prophet is a prophet of God. 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”

    Because the church has rebelled by listening to the words of false prophets and teachers / satan, God turned His face from the church and allowed our enemies to decimate the church just as we saw God do with Israel and Judah. Except this time, the enemy is not in human form like the Assyrians and Babylonians were, but they were spiritual. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” The church decided to go without armor against a spiritual enemy and the church was destroyed and to this day remains in captivity and in desolation. There is no power to do as the church was intended to have.

    We were told this would happen. Those who say that the abomination that causes desolation is going to desecrate the third temple are partially right, but that is how satan works. He takes truth and distorts it. The third temple is not a building but the body of Christ and due to rebellion God has allowed the church to be destroyed. This is why the church looks nothing like the church it was empowered to be. The enemy has infiltrated the church. We were told Daniel 9:27 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He 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.” Today most people have no idea that satan is standing behind the pulpits in churches and lecterns in schools and has entered people who think they are filled with the Holy Spirit but are not. Every week people give praise to God but are oblivious that God is not present or that the Holy Spirit is not present either. Most have been told that the Spirit of the Lord is in their place of worship but that is not true. Isaiah 1:12 “When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!” Amos 5:21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.”

    Most have been taught that their souls are secure as they anticipate heaven. Yet repentance and Judgement Day are the furthest thing from their mind because they have been taught that the church is exactly how it should be. Today the church is filled with false prophets, teachers, apostles, pastors and evangelists and they continue to lead people astray. No matter what doctrine is taught, the church is not being taught to turn away from its wickedness and return to God’s word. Jeremiah 8:6 “I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle.” From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. 12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord.”  Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” In the end, most will hear not hear well done good and faithful servant, Luke 13:25 “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’” The abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church but most, as they have been told, think the church is on the right path and they continue to listen to this voice. But listening to this voice and following this path leads to death and destruction, not life and prosperity. Proverbs 9:13 “Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, 16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says,17 “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” 18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.”

    The church looks nothing like the true church, nor does the church have the power it is supposed to have, the power and authority given at Pentecost. This power was to enable the church to continue to do as Jesus did, but false teachers have distorted God’s word and millions have fallen for the lies of satan. Yes, Jesus will return but there is no such thing as the farcical rapture that so many have believed to be true. Jesus is not coming back to reign on earth and set up His kingdom as He already did that. Matthew 12:28 “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Luke 9:1 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 10:1 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others. 8 When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” We are not waiting for the kingdom to be set up again just as we are not waiting for another temple to be built. Every day people are dying thinking they have found the way, truth and life, but they have been deceived and deluded into believing the powerless church is the church God intended it to be.

    This is not about repenting and joining a group and adhering to their beliefs. This is about repenting and turning away from the wickedness of the church. Israel and Judah were decimated but there was hope because God promised David there would always be a remnant of survivors but like in the days of the prophets, most in the church will not listen and continue down the wrong path and will only find out their folly when it is too late. The enemy’s attack on the church has been severe and only a few will find the narrow door just as Jesus said. Most have accepted the wide gate as the right way and gleeful continue down that path. It is not too late to turn around and return to God’s word, but the words of the false teachers must be rejected. Our only hope is to cry out to God. 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” 36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

Isaiah 64:1 “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! 2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! 3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. 5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. 7 No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. 8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people. 10 Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem desolation. 11 Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins. 12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?”