Covid-19 has many of you thinking
about "End Times"

Check out the LINK to Apocalypse EXTRAS

This QNR offers an Alternative View,
maybe a less popular perspective...
but we think there it is worth,
scratching your head an checking out a different
Vantage Point.

The Video above is packed with insight,
and we hope to break it down here below.
stay tuned for more...

Day of the Lord Podcast Link

Day of the Lord

What is the day of the Lord? Read on to see how the Bible uses and defines this special phrase.

Is the Day of the Lord really the end of the world?

What is the day of the Lord? When most religious people use the phrase "the day of the Lord," they use it to refer to the end of times, when Jesus returns at Armageddon to bring justice to the world and defeat evil once and for all. A lot of these images come from the very end of the Bible in Revelation, but to really understand them, we have to go back to the beginning of the Bible in Genesis.

God created mankind and gave them the authority to rule over the earth as representatives of God.

Humans, however, were led astray and decided to define good and evil for themselves. What follows is the story of the death and destruction that their rebellion brings them. We see the Tower of Babel, where mankind tries to continue defining good and evil for themselves by elevating themselves as gods and we see the story of Egypt where Pharaoh tries to protect his own interests by enslaving the Israelite people.

After God liberates His people from this evil, though, they sing a song that talks about how God is their warrior, delivering them from evil. In this song, the Israelites refer to this liberation as "the day." This is the first mention of the day of the Lord Old Testament verses talk about. This day is something the Israelites would celebrate every year with the Feast of the Passover.

As time went on, however, new enemies of the Israelites arose. The remembrance of the Passover, though, gave the Israelites hope that their God would again bring "the day" and deliver them from evil.

Later in the story, we do indeed see the prophet Amos bring the news that the day of the Lord was coming again to crush evil, but this time that evil existed within Israel itself.

The day of the Lord comes upon Israel, and they are conquered and taken captive into exile. One after another, Israel is ruled by oppressive empires from this point forward, including the oppressive empire of Rome that Jesus was born into.

Jesus didn't come to defeat the oppressive Roman empire with weapons of violence.

Instead, Jesus came to conquer the underlying issue, the sin that exists within man that had been leading them astray and demanding judgment since the Tower of Babel. To defeat this evil, Jesus took on the full power of sin and evil when He died on the cross, allowing evil to fully exhaust itself on Him and overcoming its one and only weapon -- death. In doing this, Jesus gave His followers power over sin and death themselves through the forgiveness that He offered and dealt evil a crushing blow.

Evil, though, still persists, and someday, Jesus promised to return for the final day of the Lord. This is the day of the Lord that the book of Revelation talks about, one where Jesus will return and destroy evil completely, freeing our world from corruption and bringing about the good and perfect world that God had planned for us from the start.

We have covered some of this in our
Daniel / Revelation / Mathew 24 Studies
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* Pastor Phil's current Persuasion

Pre-Wrath View

Here is some bonus Videos and Links

DANIEL

The story of Daniel motivates faithfulness despite exile in Babylon. His visions offer hope that God will bring all nations under his rule.

Can there ever be faith again in the midst of darkness, rebellion, and gloom? According to the Book of Daniel, yes, there can. This remarkable piece of Scripture has encouraged the faithful for centuries, giving us a glimpse to future events that already came to pass and and are yet to come.

A model exile

Christians and Jews alike will appreciate the timely events that Daniel sees in his visions, while giving us hope to look forward to where evil hearts and rulers will one day finally come to an end.

We also have a chance to get to know Daniel, Shadrach, Meeshach, and Abendego and see them as the model example for believers living in the midst of a dark world, which applies both to Daniel's day and to ours in the end times. Keep an eye out for key manifestations of Jesus Christ as well, as He is often referred to descriptions of being like a "Son of Man."

Milestones

Daniel and His Friends

Israelite prince Daniel and three friends are exiled to Babylon but exalted by the king when they hold onto their faith and way of life.

Interpreting Dreams

Daniel obeys God and is given the divine ability to interpret dreams for Babylonian kings. He also has his own dreams that appointed angels explain.

Miraculous Rescues

Daniel and his friends risk their lives worshipping God, but are saved miraculously first from a furnace, and then from a den of hungry lions.

Confronting the Beast

Evil beasts manifest in Daniel's dream, symbolizing human rulers rebelling against God. But God defeats each one, and a Son of Man rises with Him.

Future Visions

Daniel prays for Israel, then receives a vision about the future. Kingdoms rise, fall, and kill, but God will rescue His world once for all.

REVELATION [pt 1]

A final word

The book is not a secret code that allows believers to decipher the timeline of Jesus's return. Instead, it shows that every human kingdom eventually becomes Babylon and must be resisted. Jesus, the slain Lamb who died for the sins of the world, will return one day as King with His followers to prompt repentance.

He will remove evil permanently and make all things anew. That promise motivates every generation of God's people to remain faithful in the midst of persecution until their King returns.

Milestones

Seven Letters

John wrote the book of Revelations to encourage believers in seven churches to resist sin, remain faithful although persecuted, and anticipate Jesus's return as King.

The Sacrificed Lamb

The Old Testament's promise of God's future victorious kingdom was inaugurated through Jesus, the crucified Passover Lamb and Messiah who alone opened the sealed scroll.

Seven Judgments

Three sets of seven divine judgments do not generate repentance in the nations. Instead, only God's mercy shown through Jesus and believers who die for enemies does.

Final Battle

Several symbols signify spiritual and earthly battles. The church can choose to resist Babylon and follow the Lamb or follow the beast and suffer defeat.

God's Kingdom

After the rebellion against God and the final battle, King Jesus returns to punish evil, vindicate His followers, and reign forever in the New Jerusalem.

REVELATION [pt 2]