"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:12
Natural affection for others already seems to be disappearing for some. But in the actual time of the end, the change will be more complete and overwhelming. Natural affection for others will be "a thing of the past". Already, there is a tendency for violence to be in the streets. This kind of unrest will increase.
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,
unloving (without natural affection), unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of (those that are) 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! 2 Timothy 3:1-5
If we are told to turn away from these people, it must mean they are beyond help. Thus the whole world will be lovers of pleasure but not God.
At the same time a universal religion will be forced on the people of the world. This will be brought about by the beast power of Revelation 13. But it will not be urged that the people of the world will need to get rid of their sins and to try to obey what God would have us do.
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2 Timothy 3:5
This means that the world will have a form of religion but they will not have the power of God that changes lives to make them righteous. This religion will be based on the tradition of men.
He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."
He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Mark 7:6-9
The Commandments of God will be replaced with the traditions of men. So people will be religious but they will no longer follow the words of the true God because they have rejected and laid aside the commandments of God. This is how they honor God, with their lips but their heart is far from Him. They say they are following God but they do not obey His commandments nor anything else He asks us to do.
The universal religion that will be forced on the world will make the word of God of no effect because they will choose to follow tradition rather than the word of God.
"making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:13
So, what happens when people no longer choose to follow God by following His commandments?
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2
We find that God is always ready to hear us but the wicked will have separated themselves from God because of their sins. So, God will not hear their prayers to Him.
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9
Our very prayer becomes an abominable to God when we turn away from the Law of God. If we start regarding iniquity in our hearts; if we start sinning, God will not hear us.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear us. Psalm 66:18-20
But, at any time, if we come to God with the idea that we are willing to let go of our sins, God is very willing to help us.
"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18
It does not matter how bad (or scarlet) our sins have become, He can make our sins as white as snow and wool. So, God's eyes are always on the righteous, and those who want to become righteous, and He will listen to our prayers. But those who are determined to do evil, those who are determined to follow man's laws, without getting rid of sin; God will be turned away from them.
For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:12
Yet it is in this very same time that 144,000 will draw from God in a very direct way the righteousness that they need from Christ.
Judgement and The Seal of God
Toward the end of the world, the wicked will have fully joined up with Satan. So, the Lord will have a controversy with all the nations on earth and He will judge all people:
A noise shall come to the ends of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will enter into judgment with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword, says the LORD. Jeremiah 25:31 MKJV
(What does it mean when God says He will judge "all Flesh"? Does it mean that God will judge all the people in the world? In the Bible, it does not always mention the exceptions. For instance, God will not have a controversy with the righteous. However, they will be a very small minority. It is the wicked majority that God will have a controversy with, and He will enter into judgment with the wicked only.)
When God judges the earth, He will punish the wicked because of their sins. They will be killed and their bodies will cover the earth.
For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain. Isaiah 26:21
Their bodies will be found from one end of the earth to the other. There will be no one to cry over them and no one to bury them. They will be like dung on the ground!
"And at that day the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground. Jeremiah 25:33
So, the wicked will face punishment and death when they face God's judgement! But the 144,000 will not receive death:
saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: Revelation 7:3-4
In a special way they are sealed and God will hold back the trouble of the last days until all of His people, the 144,000 will be sealed.
In the book of Ezekiel we find a situation that was similar to what will happen in the last days. Israel had become full of sins since they served other gods, even in the temple of the real God on earth.
Ezekiel saw a vision where the people, at that time in Jerusalem, would face judgement from God. Only a few people would be spared. All the rest would be killed.
So, Ezekiel saw in vision that an angel called out and six other angels came near with weapons in their hands. They were there to destroy the people in the city.
And He cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Let the overseers of the city draw near, even each with his destroying weapon in his hand.
And behold, six men came from the way of the Upper Gate which faces north, and each had his battle-ax in his hand. And one man among them was clothed with linen, and a writer's inkhorn by his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Ezekiel 9:1-2 MKJV & NKJV
But there was another angel there as well. This angel didn't have a weapon but he had a writer's inkhorn by his side. This angel was there to mark or to place a seal on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry because of all the sins that were being committed by the people.
. . . And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side;
and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." Ezekiel 9:3-4
In the last days, the 144,000 will sigh and cry over all the abominations that are happening in the world. Especially will they cry over what is happening in the church as well. We will see more of this later.
To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.
"Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were before the temple. Ezekiel 9:5-6
So, the six angels having battle-axes went out and killed all the people except those who had the mark or the seal of God on their forehead. Now the very same thing is going to happen at the end of time. Only the 144,000 will be spared while all the others will be killed and later fully destroyed.
There are two very interesting points that are brought out by Ezekiel. In verse 6 above we see that the angels began slaying the elders who served in the temple. Thus, the killing begins with those who should be leaders of the righteous; But in actuality, they must be leading people the wrong way toward wickedness! So, they will be the first to be killed because of God's anger is very great toward them. The reason is clear, they were leading astray God's people who otherwise might be saved.
The other point is that God will slay the wicked and He will not have any pity toward them
So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?" Ezekiel 9:8 When Ezekiel saw all those who were being killed, he was alarmed: "Will there be any left in Jerusalem?"
An important aspect of the 144,000 is their love for the wicked. They will sigh and cry over them and try to win them to Christ that they may escape the destruction slated for the world. But once probation has closed, which is when there is no longer any hope of their being saved, then the wicked will be killed without pity.
Then He said to me, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!'
"And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head." Ezekiel 9:8-10
In the time of the end the countryside and the church will be full of bloodshed and perversity, wickedness and corruption. Thus God's eye will neither spare nor have pity. Only the 144,000 will He save.
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