Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

• Hosea 1:10-11

 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

• Revelation 13:5-8

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

• Revelation 21:1-4

 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

• Mark 13:5-11

The Scriptures are an odd collection, and I do not even know if this writing will tie them all together, but I was thinking about how the Allies after World War II aided the Jews in returning to Palestine.  There were already Jews there, and even more who were able to escape the Nazi death camps.  It may not have been open government policy to help these people, but aide was given, over the table or under it.

A few days ago, this came to mind, and I pondered how many people who are well versed in the Scriptures, especially the End Times prophecies, were trying to set the End Times in motion?

Indeed, the Crusades were a “Holy” crusade to gain or regain control of Jerusalem because Jerusalem is occupied by the people of Israel in the final analysis.  Today, Muslims, Jews, and Christians hold certain locations to be sacred in each of their religions in the city.  The news now is that Israeli extremists are trying to oust the Christians while many Israelis know how important a strong Jewish/Christian bond is for long term stability.

In some cases, we see God-fearing people work toward End Times conclusions, whether they interpreted God’s Word correctly or not.

But I think the One World government that the United Nations is trying to obtain is being done, totally ignoring the biblical prophecies.  In fact, I think, in the End, it will be those who do not believe the biblical prophecies and in most cases have no idea what they mean, who will be the ones who accomplish a One World government, the movement of Israelites back to the Holy Land, and the rebuilding of the temple so that the world can worship the beast, except those who are Chosen by God.

The Crusades tried to speed up God’s timetable, but God has His own timetable.  World War I was the war to end all wars, but roughly twenty years later, the world was at war again.  So, the League of Nations failed, but after the Second World War, the United Nations remains.

Are we messing with prophecies to hurry God’s timetable, or is God’s prophecies, told through His faithful servants of old, coming to pass before our eyes?

Or is everything we see in the news today “the beginning of birth pains.”

Each group of faithful people since the time Jesus walked on this earth has found things that looked like the end was near, but now, we have the technology to accomplish this globally and we have a massive turning away from God.  Is the revival among the Gen-Z God’s way of postponing the End?  Or is this God’s way of reaching the last of the elect, and we might see the rapture any day now?

Regardless of which alternative, or one I did not include, is correct or not.  I will continue praying.  I will continue writing.  And I hope for some, I can continue showing the right direction.  All praise to Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.