Only Things That Are Eternal Shall Remain

What do the Last Days really mean?

There are warnings about the Last Days and what to expect.  We know that the things that are seen are only temporary, whilst the things that are unseen are eternal - (talking of Spiritual things or things that our mortal eyes cannot perceive):

^'Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.' (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV)

In the following verses, 'Land' can refer to literal land, or it can refer to us:

'Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.  But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.' (Hebrews 6:7-8 NIV)

One thing I like to bear in mind is that the Last Days may be the Biblical Last Days - the Day of the Lord's Return -  or it could be that our own Last Day may come at any time before then, for we don't know when our personal hour to pass from this life will actually come.  The question is always this, "Are we ready"? And are we watching out for the signs of the Lord's return?  In Matthew 24:42-44 we are told that He will come "like a thief in the night".  We are also told that no-one knows the day or the hour of his return, only God has this knowledge.  Unfortunately too, there have already been many false predictions that the "end is nigh" and so it's all too easy to decide that any prophecies in this respect today will end up the same way.  However, even that is foretold in the Scriptures!

I believe this important chapter below gives us good insight as to why so many people might not be ready, but if we are to be ready, what sort of people we need to be:

The Day of the Lord 

'Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles.
 

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of the ungodly.
 

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
 

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.
 

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
 

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 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. 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.
 

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. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.' (2 Peter Chapter 3 NIV)

The Duckling and the Squirrel - A Prophetic Dream?

 

The Dream

I had a dream last night (17th October 2014), in which a little duckling came waddling over to me, squawking a pitiful message to me, a lament about the loss of her home.  I felt terribly sorry for this little mite and picked her up and cuddled her to me until she was eventually soothed by the warmth and security of my arm and hands.

But I knew she wanted to tell me something important, so I gently set her down in front of me, and followed her as she led me to a large tree (possibly an Oak).  She climbed up to where there was a hollow, in which there was an open cardboard box containing a cosy place for shelter, resembling a padded pet basket.  The duckling got right inside it and peered out.  Just then came along a squirrel, and the pair of them kicked up a terrible fuss as the squirrel made it very clear that this was his home, and no longer belonged to the duckling, which he proceeded to force out.

The duckling cried out to me for help, and I realised she had been evicted from the home which was rightfully hers.  I picked her up once again and soothed her, telling her I would try and solve the problem.  She calmed down and relaxed once more into my arms.

I soon found myself in a room, rather like a church hall, where some people were selling cardboard boxes containing little shelters, exactly like the one I had just seen in the tree.  There was also a Bible with each box.  I asked how much these packages were and was told £10.  I paid the money and took the box to the tree, placing it securely in the hollow next to the box with the squirrel in it.  The duckling was thrilled, and quickly climbed into it knowing this was her new home.  I watched, and was reassured that the two would live happily side by side for a period of time.  I knew it wouldn’t work long-term, but for now this was a good enough solution.

____________

A Possible Interpretation

It came to me on waking that this was a prophetic picture of events in the Middle East, and the two boxes represented two States, the duckling and the squirrel representing two peoples, and the Bible represented how this dream fits in with the Word of God. The cost of £10 represents the fact that there is always a cost when helping someone else, but we need to always remember that Jesus paid the ultimate price for us all. 

The one State was in occupation of the land that was deemed to rightfully belong to the other, but in order to resolve the dispute, the second State would be created in order that they could live peacefully side by side.  This is symbolic of Israel and Palestine and I believe, of the signing of what may well turn out to be the 7 Year Peace Treaty spoken of in the Bible.  After 3 ½ years, this “peaceful” arrangement would break down.  With the signing, is ushered in the 7 years of Tribulation leading to the Battle of Armageddon and ultimately the Millennium reign of the Messiah.

The Blood Red Moons

(Click on image to see larger size.)

Ushering in the Blood Red Moons © Anna Kirsten.  All Rights Reserved.

This is a particularly interesting time right now.  Last night (8th October) saw the second of a tetrad of Blood Red Moons, or total eclipses.  These have always, and will, fall on specific Jewish Feast Days.  For a proper account of their significance and meaning, take a look at This Link.  The one this month in particular, also falls at the beginning of the Shemitah Year, which is also the Jewish 7th Year of Rest and a Jubilee Year as well.  For more information about the Shemitah, take a look HERE - it is fascinating, as you only have to take a look at and listen about events as well as natural disasters that are taking place around the globe.

"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?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains...."  

“Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

(Matt 23:3-8 and verse 29, but read the whole chapter for the full context!)

No-one knows the day or the hour the Jesus will return, but we should all be ready and prepared for it.  Even if he doesn't return in our life-time, we still need to be ready for the day we ourselves pass on from this life.

The heavens declare the glory of God

Last Sunday evening we proclaimed the words in Psalm 19 during a time of Worship and Intercession, and I was particularly struck by the pictorial language used.  I was inspired to produce this picture when I read the words again, and share it here.

(Click on image to see original size uploaded.
Picture © Anna Kirsten. All Rights Reserved.)

Believers Shall Meet Him In The Air

When the Lord Comes Again

(Click on image to view larger size
Image © Anna Kirsten. All Rights Reserved.)

Christians have some amazing events to look forward to in the last days, and it is on these things that we need to have our focus when considering all that is going on around us in the world.  It is all too easy to get bogged down with everything we read on the internet; we need to know the Scriptures and be discerning about everything, but we do need to be ready too.  Let us not be like the 5 virgins who did not have their lamps filled and were not ready on that Day (see Matthew 25:1-13).