Vicious

“And they did not repent of their murders nor their sorceries nor their sexual perversions nor their thefts.”  Revelation 9:21 VW-Edition

 

“Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”  Revelation 9:21 KJV

 

How can something be written prior to describe what the attitude of people will become during the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), better known as the Tribulation?  There is only one way to do so.

 

Using God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, the Bible (Acts 17:11) as our guide, one can get a glimpse into the attitudes and hearts of the people during that time.  Knowing that things are going to continue to get worse (2 Tim. 3:13) and in 2023 watching and being ready (Matt. 24:42-44), believing that the time is sooner than later, though not knowing for certain, our societies around the world already appear to be showing us a preview of things to come.

 

In the opening verse from Revelation chapter 9, it has been said that ‘sorceries’ refers to drug use.  Of course our societies have become full of searching out witchcraft, things relating to demons, etc., that is certain, but it has also become a place where rampant drug abuse, legalization of drugs and even prescription drugs, some of which have serious mind altering effects, have absolutely exploded with no end in sight. 

 

Writing this in the spring of 2023 there is talk in the news about ‘tranq’ which puts people into zombie-like statuses, with videos found online showing horrific blocks of cities with drugged-out people hunched over, doing nothing but standing or laying.  If, as some pastors have proclaimed, sorceries is more related to drugs than previously considered, certainly the start of what life will be like during the Tribulation is on display for all to see.

 

Considering all things and having read a decent amount of history of the exploration of places such as Africa and the Amazonian jungle, drugs and witchcraft actually go hand in hand.  Rituals that are done and have been done by civilizations current and in the historical past have always mixed the two and the thoughts are regarding that indeed both are intrinsically linked, holding hands.  You can’t seem to have the one without the other.

 

This chapter is designed to provide some insight into what people will experience during the Tribulation.  While it is not possible to properly portray the absolute depravity of society during that time, a glimpse can be provided and with that glimpse hopefully some useful advice for those who repent towards God and by faith believe into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Acts 20:21) during that time. 

 

While the solution would clearly have been to accept the free gift of Salvation prior to that time (Eph. 2:8-9), there will be many Saved during the Tribulation (Rev. 7:9) and they will experience first hand the vicious society that envelopes them.

 

Taking a look at the opening verse once again, note that during that time there will be people who refuse to repent of their murders, sorceries, sexual perversions and their thefts.  In 2023 there is a battle of ideas regarding traditional views (often biblical based, so God’s absolute Truth) verses ideas that are contrary to our Creator, therefore these ideas are from the god of this world, Satan, who is behind such things (Rev. 12:9).

 

Violence in our cities is often hitting record number of murders, the drug use is rampant across this once greater land, the amount of sexual depravity and unbiblical ideas from those who refuse God’s Truth, who refuse their Creator is off the charts and finally the amount of thefts have skyrocketed, even causing several big-box chains to close locations throughout the United States.  So a sampling is provided regarding what the future will hold and these ideas, these trends will inevitably not subside but rather preside over the vicious inhabitants of the earth. 

 

In the chapter, Enemy Territory, much more explanation is given to explain what sort of things are prophesied to be taking place during that time and the reasons for such mechanisms playing out in the world.  The focus of this chapter is simply to get a glimpse of the attitudes of the people, as a bit of a guide for realizing what an individual who accepts Christ during that time period will be up against. 

 

An individual Christian must realize that during this time period you are going to eventually become a martyr for Christ (Rev. 13:7).  You will be killed by society for your faith in Christ. 

 

This, in and of itself, provides a huge glimpse into the attitude of the societies around the world.  For whether you are in Kenya, the United States of America, China, Russia, Bolivia, Argentina, Iceland or even Norway, the same fate will await you.  However remember this:

 

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

 

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”  2nd Corinthians 5:8 KJV

 

This glimpse provides a real clear look at the murderous thoughts of society and the Roman empire style appetite for blood filled sport that society will make of trying to locate the believers in Christ who refuse to go along with Satan’s destructive agenda of trying to ensure that all inhabitants of the earth end up in the lake of fire for all eternity (Rev. 20:10-15). 

 

As this book is written, very few people care about the ‘birth pangs’ (Matt. 24:8) that our societies around the globe are experiencing now.  They will not heed the warnings, they will no longer listen, this even said regarding those who proclaim to be Christians, including a vast majority of pastors who lead these lukewarm (Rev. 3:14-21) or unregenerate congregations of persons. 

 

All Will Stand preached on podcast, then shortwave radio via the Americas, a little bit with AM/FM stations and finally, as this is written, in Africa.  While more preaching might go on via these methods, by and large the response has been miniscule in regards to what would have been expected a generation or so ago.  Yet the Gospel was preached and the warnings were spoken.  As a final antidote to this willfully ignorant (2 Peter 3:5) society, this unbelieving generation, this book was compiled knowing that eventually there will be people looking for answers.

 

The Tribulation time period will last approximately seven years.  Depending on when an individual gets Saved during that timeframe will make a difference to the seriousness of the current situation that they will face, though all will face the same seriousness of becoming a martyr for Christ, some, if Saved early on, will have a bit more peace and quiet during this time period then someone who is Saved towards the later part of the Tribulation.

 

Society will continue to become more depraved in very quick order during the Tribulation.  For anyone who is nearing middle age or older, consider how much things have changed for the worse regarding the mores of society, compared to when you were young. 

 

Personally I look towards the internet as speeding up the whole process of moral depravity that has been seen in our societies around the globe.  A book could be written on the amount of changes that have taken place, focusing on many different factors, but the following prophetic verses regarding society will be suffice:

 

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unyielding, slanderers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.”  2nd Timothy 3:1-5 VW-Edition

 

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”  2nd Timothy 3:1-5 KJV

 

The Bible prophesied that this would happen and as society is falling off a cliff the rich are preparing by storing up wealth, reinforcing their homes, buying bugout properties or building bunkers, also as the Bible has prophesied:

 

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your calamities that are coming upon you.  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.  Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.  Indeed the wages of the laborers who reaped your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.  You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.  You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.  Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.  You also be patient. Make your hearts firm, for the coming of the Lord draws near.  Do not grumble against one another, brethren, that you not be condemned. Behold, the Judge stands at the door.  My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering affliction and endurance.  Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the endurance of Job and seen the outcome brought about by the Lord; that the Lord is very kind and merciful.”  Jacob 5:1-11 VW-Edition

 

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.  Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.  Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.  Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”  James 5:1-11 KJV

 

An individual must always turn to the Bible for God’s Truth that will shine brightly against the whims of the world and properly place them in context as being shown to be opposing their Creator, His Truth and true Salvation through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). 

 

However, while at current the ‘woke’ attitudes go against God Almighty, understand that these pushes of immorality will result in empowerment by those who push such agendas, so that following God, in Christ, will result in a murderous rampant society who will make such beliefs illegal and punishable by death during the Tribulation.

 

The people will be dangerous and become more and more dangerous.  They will be united in their sorceries, they will be united in their sexual perversions, they will be united in their rebellion against God Almighty and, with the Antichrist on full display, the power of wickedness producing its horrific and eternal damnable fruit, be at war against God and anyone who chooses to be on God’s side (Joshua 24:14-15).

 

The attitude of the people will be against God, against His Word, against His ways and therefore anyone who is in Christ, against them as well.  Therefore, those who refuse to repent towards God will be the enemy of anyone who is in Christ. 

 

Your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, possibly even those whom you still do or used to attend a ‘church’ with will become your enemies, if they are of those who refuse to repent. 

 

The attitudes of the governments will be to strengthen these attitudes of the people, with what will emerge openly as the satanic world government, controlled by the Antichrist, the leader of the final rebellion of mankind, prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Rev. 16:12-17). 

 

The media will be against you, including social media.  Though they may make mentions of God, especially early-on, their truths will be about as useless as the truths that many churches who were Left Behind, full of their congregants.  This becomes an individual decision, though some might be fortunate enough to encounter other true Believers during this time, but by and large the soul that seeks God with their whole heart will find Him (Jer. 29:13). 

 

Eventually, as time goes on, and the mark of the beast is in full display to the public, the merchants (Babylon) (Rev. 17) will show their true colors as being fully onboard with a godless attitude, essentially requires obedience to Satan in order to purchase their goods or services.  The war will be that deep and will envelope society, completely taking over every aspect, getting worse and worse in a manner that will be very quick, as the governments will try to excuse or ignore God’s just judgments that will be affecting mankind during that time.

 

The more clear it becomes to society at large that they are being directly rebutted by the Almighty Creator, the more hard their hearts will become, eventually like stone, sealed with the mark of the beast and/or doing homage to the image of the beast, destined to Hell for all eternity in their fight against God (Rev. 14:9-12).

 

Those in the societies of the world will continue to be lead astray, deceived by false signs and wonders, becoming vicious in their attitudes and joining the hive mind of society, bent on destroying any true virtuous born-again Believer during that time period. 

 

The foundation for these attitudes of people are already being laid and just as moral depravity found it’s ugly face during past world wars, in a quick manner, so too, with all of the upheavals with society norms, societies across the globe will morph into a blood thirsty culture, against God, determined in their hearts to destroy those who oppose their leader, Satan. 

 

Though the inhabitants of the world might not realize who the governments’ leader is, they might be simply lead astray with the hysteria of the times, in the end when the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:12-17) takes place, they will have become so depraved that they, the Creation, decide that they are going to fight against the Creator!

 

A true born-again Believer will not be here during that time, but will be home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).  Sometime between the Rapture and that time, all Believers around the world will have been slaughtered by this satanic system of world government.

 

Society will go along with this anti-God agenda, seeking to locate those who oppose.  Their attitudes will be loyal to being contrary to God, they will be unrepentant. 

 

“And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has authority over these plagues; and they did not repent to give Him glory.”  Revelation 16:9 VW-Edition

 

“And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.”  Revelation 16:9 KJV

 

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will deliver both yourself and those who hear you.”  1st Timothy 4:16 VW-Edition

 

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”  1st Timothy 4:16 KJV

 

Amen!