February 14, 2015 - A. V. Rauf
dis·clo·sure (Part I)
dis·clo·sure (disˈklōZHər)
noun the action of making new or secret information known.
synonyms: revelation, declaration, announcement, news, report; More a fact, especially a secret, that is made known.
As part of the Month of February 2015 Prophecy Update I believe now is the time to examine a burgeoning issue that has been a controversial topic in many a conversation and it just may become a reality in the very near future.
I believe that 2015 is going to be a very pivotal year with an acceleration of what I would call prophetic events that will bring us closer to the fulfillment of many Bible prophecies that may lead us to the end of the Church Age and triggering what the Bible refers to as the Tribulation period, (which is the last seven years prior to the very return of the LORD to set up His Millennial Kingdom.) Needless to say, I have heard it said that we are to live our lives as if Jesus may return at any given moment, but we almost must be wise stewards and plan as if He may not. This statement shouldn’t be taken out of context, but I hope the reader “…catches my drift,” if you will.
Much has already transpired this year with an increase in seismic and volcanic activities, the economies of many nations teetering on the brink of a collapse and obviously the current crISIS in the Middle East. A possible “Cold War” has been reignited between Russia and the U. S., and wars and rumors of wars are ever prevalent in the mainstream media. The situation in Ukraine beckons our prayers and is one of global concern. As the world seems to be caught up in all of this I believe there is one MAJOR event that will truly take the world by surprise and I want to for the next few articles, take a look at the extraterrestrial phenomenon from a Biblical perspective.
It was just recently reported that outgoing Obama adviser John Podesta, who is a former White House Chief of Staff mentioned his lone regret about the past year: not telling Americans the truth about UFOs. He was the fourth and final White House Chief of Staff under President Bill Clinton, from 1998 until 2001. He is a very intelligent and highly educated individual. My question is what is the truth about UFO’s? But ultimately, what does the Bible say about UFO’s?
I Corinthians 15:39-41—All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
The Bible states that there are earthly bodies but also heavenly bodies and I mentioned in a previous post that there is a natural realm and a spiritual realm. And as we get closer to the end of the age the veil separating the two is beginning to diminish.
Luke 17:26 -37—And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Notice when speaking eschatological, or in reference to the end times, Jesus Christ is putting the epic of Noah together with the epic of Lot and what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah. As you read these passages you find that Jesus was referring to these two events to describe what it is going to be like before He returns in the Olivet Discourse.
He mentions that it will be JUST as in the days of Noah, not like the days of Noah.
Matthew 24:37-42—-But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
In the days of Noah there were also the Nephilim, angelic beings who came down to earth and procreated with human women. This has been a very controversial subject even in theological circles as it has been heavily debated that the sons of God as mentioned in Genesis chapter 6 were actually descendants from the line of Seth as opposed to actual angelic beings.
Genesis 6:1-5—And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
We see this also mentioned in Jude:6-7
Jude 6-7— And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Notice here Jude does the same thing. He links the story of Noah with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Notice he puts it together in an eschatological framework.
2 Peter 2: 4-9— For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.
Notice Jesus, Peter and Jude link the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and the story of Noah, juxtaposing them and using it as a foreshadowing of what is to happen near the end of this world or age.
Now let’s examine the possible link between these stories.
In both cases it was the “last straw”; God had put up with a lot of immorality, a lot of sin, a lot of idolatry, a lot of crime, a lot of everything, really. However, it reached up to a certain point in both cases. It is the same today:
Ecclesiastes 1:9—The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 3:15—That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
It also bears mentioning that in both instances only a remnant was saved.
Peter tells us that Noah preached for many years and people mocked him. In the last days this vey same scenario will emerge. People will laugh and mock the way of salvation. You already see it in the media. They make fun of it. Additionally, there was a remnant saved in both cases. But God was forbearing that when judgment finally came, there was no excuse.
Peter talks about one aspect: that is how unsaved people are going to be.
Jesus talks about another aspect:He warns what Christians are going to be like, they will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They will be caught in temporal things. Things that are not wrong, but rather are even right, but they become obsessed with it.
Less and less emphasis on Bible prophecy and the “Return of the Lord”; more emphasis on temporal things. We are not on earth to just enjoy our lives only. Thank God for that. God has given us this earth to enjoy and has indeed been faithful in blessing us. There are several Scriptural promises in the Bible mentioning God’s will and desire to bless and prosper his children.
However, we are also here to prepare the way for the return of the Lord. We will inherit the earth for one thousand years after the return of Christ and then move into eternity. But when temporal things become a priority, this becomes distorted.
Peter warned what unsaved people will be like and Jesus Christ warned what many Christians will be like.
But now let’s look at the third and final connection between the story of Lot and the story of Noah and this is the issue of strange flesh
and I believe the very reason for an upcoming disclosure event. (To be continued…..)