To the Church at the end of the age...

What lies in store for the Church? for the world of unbelievers? for Israel?

In the Book of Revelation, the Resurrected Jesus wrote letters to the church from His Throne and vantage point in Eternity. He was able to "predict" the major developments that would take place in Christendom that would effect the Church, and to warn His people about the things that would happen.

(These letters to the seven churches present a panoramic view of Church History, from Pentecost and the birth of the Church to the final period of church history culminating in the end of the church age, the so-called "Rapture," and the final battle between Good and Evil that will usher in the Kingdom of God. To see where we are in this process, read the Letters to the Seven Churches (click on the link to download.)

The current Bridal Outpouring

As we rapidly approach the final showdown, God is pouring out on His Church a new revelation of the church's identity as the Bride of Christ, and Jesus, the soon coming Bridegroom. True believers inside and out of traditional, institutionalized, organized, denominationalized Christianity are turning their attention from their particular denominations, creeds, pet doctrines and other themes and justifications of division to behold the beauty of the Lord and to focus on the intimate relationship He desires to have with His espoused Bride at this time in history. This can be witnessed by the "house church" movement, and the effort on the part of the denominations to stem the exodus of true believers known as the "cell group movement." In each case, believers are intuitively resisting formal religious structures and striving for relational Christianity.

If the Bible is true, and truly the Word of God, and if we are indeed in the final period of church history outlined in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, what can we expect to happen in the near future? -- whether in relation to the church, the unsaved world, or to God's chosen people the Jews?

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, a church that was eagerly awaiting the return of the Lord to establish His Kingdom on earth, Paul outlined a few events that will come to pass before "the day of the Lord" arrives. The day of the Lord is a general term pointing to an entire series of events that culminate with the Lord Jesus landing on the Mount of Olives and taking up the throne of David in Jerusalem. He says in II Thessalonians 2:1-4 that two things must happen -- a great falling away, and the revelation of the antichrist, or man of sin. He goes on to discuss this pivotal character in end time history, and then starting in verse 10 Paul introduces the theme of end-time delusion. There are constant reminders throughout the New Testament, from the teachings of Jesus Himself to the writings of Paul, John, Peter, James, and Jude, that indicate that the end times will be times of great delusion and deception. These warnings are specifically directed at "the elect" that they might not also be carried away with the "strong delusion" that God will send expressly for the purpose of separating true believers in Him from those who "have not a love of the truth."

For a more detailed discussion of each of these themes, click on the contents buttons on this page. To fully comprehend where we are in God's divine time line, click on the link to Letters to the Seven Churches to discover how perfectly the Lord knew what would transpire in His church following His ascension, up until His return at the end of the age.

Lord willing, this page will also be updated with more articles dealing with the exact source and nature of the deception that is coming on the earth in our God's Truth about... series, and an article about God's time line -- that is, what He has already revealed in Scripture about the timing of the events of the last days.

Please check back from time to time. Your comments are welcome. You may send them to Midnight Cry.net. You can also go our LINKS page for links to other web pages we think are valuable in helping to understand what is happening. Also, please sign the guest book and leave any comments you many have. God bless...