At that time Michael will stand up, the great Prince who stands for the children of your people: and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time Your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. " Daniel 12:1,  KJV.

All who have proved themselves loyal to God’s standard have received "the seal of the living God." Then Jesus ends His work of intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, "It is done."

All the angels take off their crowns as He announces the end of the gospel call and of the Judgment of those who claimed to know Christ: "Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." Revelation 22:11.

Satan has entire control of the finally disobedient. No longer protected by God's angels, they have no protection from the devil and his angels. The world will be filled with utter destruction more terrible than has ever happened before on the earth.

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Leaders will claim that God has allowed this to happen because of those who have not honored Sunday.   They will declare that those who keep the seventh day Sabbath are dishonoring God and are responsible for the destruction and death that has overwhelmed the world.  They will also say "God will save our nation and our world if we kill the Sabbath keepers."  This was the same argument made against Christ nearly two thousand years ago.

"It is better for you," said the scheming Caiaphas, "that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." John 11:50. This reason will appear powerful. Governments will finally issue a law against those who obey the seventh day Sabbath -- the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The law will  sentence them to die at the hands of the people on a particular day of a particular month.  The powers of the papacy and the powers of apostate Protestantism will be united world-wide in their plans to kill all of the Sabbath-keeping Christians.

Commandment Keepers Are Afraid

This very law will result in a very fearful time for God's Commandment-keeping children.  They will be filled with the fear and sorrow pictured by the prophet Jeremiah, as the time of Jacob's trouble. "Cries of fear are heard--terror, not peace.  Ask and see: Can a man bear children?  Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale?  How awful that day will be! None will be like it." "Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it." Jeremiah 30:5-7, NIV; 30:7, NKJV.

Jacob was full of agony the night when he wrestled in prayer, pleading over and over again for safety from Esau's army.  Similar events will happen again.  These events are pictured by the prophet Jeremiah as "The time of Jacob's trouble."  Who is it that experiences this trouble?  Who is the "Jacob" at this time?  You are "Jacob" if you are going to be true to God.  It is thousands of times better to experience "Jacob's time of trouble" with God on your side than to experience the seven last plagues without the protection of God.  In the book of Genesis, we find the story of Esau and Jacob.  Satan convinced Esau to lead his army against Jacob.  In the same way, he will excite the angry people of the world to kill God's obedient children in the time of trouble.  Those who serve God and keep His commandments will pass through extreme testing  Genesis 32:24-30.

God promises that He "will keep you from the hour of temptation, which will come upon all the world."  "Let him take hold of My strength that he may make peace with me. And he will make peace with Me." Their confidence does not fail because God does not instantly answer their prayers. Revelation 3:10; Isaiah 27:5 NKJV.

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Though suffering the  most penetrating fear, terror, and distress, they do not stop praying. They pray to God like Jacob, who held on to Christ with all of his faith and all of his strength and said "I will not let You go, unless You bless me." Genesis 32:26.

Delaying to Prepare for the Coming Conflict

Is Preparing to Fail!

Those who wait to prepare until the time of trouble will have waited too long.  If you have a hole in your roof, when do you fix it?  Do you wait until the middle of a lightning storm when the water is pouring into your house to fix it? "Oh," someone says, "why should I fix it when the weather is good?"  I don't need it until the weather turns bad."  You get the point.  When the storm comes, it is too late to prepare for the storm.  A storm is coming.  It will be relentless!  Often our imagination tells us that bad things are going to happen.   Often our imagination plays tricks with us, and what we imagined is not nearly as bad as we thought it was going to be.  I tell you with deep regret that this time it will be worse than you or I can imagine.

God loves you and wants you to be ready.  It will not be possible unless you make some sacrifices now.  Sacrifice worldly TV shows and sitcoms so you will have the time to fill your minds with the words of the Lord.  I have found a couple of TV stations on satellite that will help you prepare for the coming crisis.  One of them is 3ABN out of West Frankfort, Illinois.  They have a fine combination of 24-hour programing.  It is even possible to view 3ABN by computer at www.3abn.org  You will find it also in the links section of the web site for this book:  www.prophecymadeeasy.com.  Another  is KSBN, SAFE TV out of Springdale, Arkansas.  www.safetv.org. Also take the time to learn the great Bible truths in this book, Prophecy Made Easy, as well as The Great Controversy and the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation.

You must consider this preparation time your number one priority so that you will have a "shelter in the time of storm."  The case of all who fail to prepare is hopeless.  However, the time of trial, for those who have prepared, will result in a blessing to them.  

This time of trial will burn away all that is needless. The entire universe will see Christ’s character perfectly revealed in those whom God saves from this last generation. Their difficulties are great. Being placed in this fiery furnace is necessary for them. This ordeal will destroy their worldliness and their lives will perfectly reflect Christ’s character of love.

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God will have successfully put the two things He loves most together: His people, and His law. And then will be fulfilled the words, "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Hebrews 8:10.

The terrible pressure of depression does not stop them from praying for the blessing of God, earnestly and in faith, as did Jacob. Seek to develop that faith now so you can say with Jacob, "I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."  God will then account you as princes, having power to succeed with God and with men. Genesis 32:30.

The "time of trouble, such as never was," is soon to burst upon us, and we will need this Jacob-like faith that many are too neglectful to obtain. "Big trouble will come to the earth and sea! The devil has come down to you. He is very angry. He knows that he has only a short time!" Revelation 12:12.

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in" the world, "they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness." Ezekiel 14:20.

U.F.O.s

Soon people will see fearful sights of a supernatural character in the sky--a demonstration of the power of miracle-working demons.

Satan Disguised As Christ!

Satan wears no red pajamas and has no horns and no pitchfork. He has much of the power and wisdom he had in heaven. He will appear in different parts of the world with great brightness, declaring that he is Christ. He will have such a dazzling brightness, glory, compassion, and miracle working power that people will shout "Christ has come! Christ has come!" He will tell the world that he has changed the Sabbath to Sunday and command all to honor the day he has blessed.

Satan will disguise himself as Christ with dazzling brightness. People will be attracted to Him like metal to a magnet.  No one has ever seen such amazing brightness, power, and magnificence!  Everyone knows this individual is a supernatural being.  But what the majority of people will not know is that this is Satan himself, disguised as Christ.

The reason counterfeiters are so successful is that they make the counterfeit look like the real thing.

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Perhaps you have seen television shows where you are supposed to figure out who is the man and who is the woman--and they all look like women.  I have been fooled.  I often didn't know who was the woman and who was the man.  Everyone can be fooled part of the time.  Satan will be an almost perfect counterfeit of Jesus Christ.  He'll have the brilliance, the beauty, and the miracle-working power.  Satan is slick!  He knows all the techniques of disguise.  He will also quote a few Bible verses with the sound of love in his voice.

There is no way you can tell if this is the real Christ or Satan disguised as Christ except by two things.  First, by his teachings.  Satan claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday.  Disguised as Jesus Christ, he will deceive many who will believe that this is "the great power of God."  Revelation 1:13-15; Acts 8:10.  Second, by his manner of appearing.  Christ does not set foot on Planet Earth when He comes the second time.   The brilliance, beauty, and majesty that surrounds Him has never been seen before.

However, Satan, disguised as Christ, will not mislead the people of God, for two reasons:

1.  The teachings of this false Christ are not according to the Bible teachings.  He blesses the worshipers of the beast and his image--the very class upon whom the Bible declares that God will pour out His merciless wrath.

2.  God does not permit Satan to counterfeit the way Christ comes.  The Saviour has warned His people so they would not be fooled on this point and has clearly told the way  he will return the second time.  When Christ comes the second time, He will not take even one step on Planet Earth.  He will remain in the sky, and the angels will take us to meet Him.  Then we will return to heaven with Him.  Anyone who walks on Planet Earth claiming to be Christ is a fraud, or the devil himself, regardless of how nice he looks or how many miracles he performs.  

"False christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect. . . . So if anyone tells you, there he is, out in the desert, do not go out; or, here he is, in the inner rooms, do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the son of Man. "They will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." This coming, there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known--witnessed by the whole world. Matthew 24:24,27, 30;  see also Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

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The Death Sentence

Governments will issue an order against those who keep God’s commandments, withdrawing governmental protection, permitting those who want, permission to kill the commandment keepers. This will cause God’s people to leave the cities, and villages quickly and live together in the forests and mountains. They will live together in groups, living in the most isolated and remote places. Many will find shelter in the mountains. God’s children have often found a protective retreat in "The fortress of rocks." Isaiah 33:16.

Those in power will throw, many--of all nations and of all classes, high and low, rich and poor, black and white--into the most unfair and cruel slavery. They will chain many of God’s children, shut them in by prison bars, and give them the death sentence. Many will be left to, supposedly, die of starvation in dark and filthy dungeons and prison cells. The situation will appear hopeless. Nobody, it seems, will care about their pain ,and nobody will be there to help them. But God cares, and angels will come to them in prison.

Will the Lord Forget You?

Did He Forget Faithful Noah?

"Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me. Can a  mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." Isaiah 49:14-16. God says "whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye." Zechariah 2:8.

"The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon--to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task." Isaiah 28:21. To our merciful God, the act of punishment is a strange act. "Say to them, `As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die?" Ezekiel 33:11. "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power. The Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished." Nahum 1:3.

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,  maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished." Exodus 34:6,7.

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The U.S.A., and the whole world will be involved in receiving the plagues of God’s wrath. Christ will end His work of intercession in the sanctuary. He will then pour out His merciless anger against those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark (Revelation 14:9, 10).

Plagues

"You are just in these judgments for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."  Revelation 16:2-6.

Dead Bodies Everywhere

The sun becomes much hotter ‘scorching men with great heat’. Water is scarce and fires are raging. The sun has power "to scorch men with fire, and men were scorched with great heat."  Revelation 16:8, 9, NKJV.

"The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed. The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree-- all the trees of the field--are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away.

"The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up. How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering. To you, O LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the open pastures and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures.

"The fierce heat of the sun has ruined the fields, drying up the ground and destroying the crops. The harvest of the field is gone. The vines have dried up." Happiness has taken a vacation. No one is happy anywhere. "The seed is rotten. The harvests are destroyed. The animals groan! The herds of cattle are dying, because they have no pasture . . . The rivers of water are dried up, and the fire has destroyed the pastures of the wilderness." Joel 1:10-12, 17-20 "The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day," says the Lord GOD; "the dead bodies shall be many; in every place they shall be cast out in silence." Amos 8:3 RSV.

These plagues are not worldwide, or all the people of planet earth would be dead.

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Yet it will be the most awful destruction that people have ever known, anytime in history. God has blended all the judgments upon men, before the close of probation, with mercy. The pleading blood of Christ has shielded the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt. However, in the final judgment, God pours out His wrath unmixed with mercy.

Food and Water for Commandment Keepers

In that day, many of the wicked will hunger and thirst for the shelter of God's mercy that they have so long rejected. "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land--not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.  Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it." Amos 8:11, 12.

At this time, the wicked will be dying from hunger and disease. Angels, however, will provide food for the righteous. To the person who "walks righteously" is the promise: "Bread will be given him; his water will be sure." "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them." Isaiah 33:16, NKJV; 41:17.

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."  Habakkuk 3:17, 18.

"The LORD watches over you -- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life."  Psalms 121:5-7.

"He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield."  Psalm 91:3,4.

Terror Fills the Nights!

"You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.  If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge--  then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent." Psalm 91:5-10.

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Like Jacob, all are wrestling with God. Their faces express their internal struggle. Every face is pale. Yet they do not stop praying earnestly. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily." Luke 18:7,8, NKJV. The end will come more quickly than men expect. Remember the childhood games. "Ready or not, here I come!"  Are you ready?  Ready or not, Jesus is coming soon.  Ready or not, "The hour of His judgment has come" now!  Revelation 14:6-12.  Ready or not, the storm is very near. Make sure you put Christ's words into practice, and you will "not fall."  Matthew 7:21-27.

Angels Are Sent in Answer to Prayer!

Angels have appeared in two forms--either with their naturally dazzling "lightning" brightness or disguised as ordinary men.

Angels have appeared wearing clothes that were as brilliant as lightning. They have also come to church and to other assemblies of people disguised as men.

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them." Psalm 34:7.

"The redeemed of the Lord will return, and come with singing unto Zion."

"The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."  "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth?"  Isaiah 51:11-13.

"In the time of trouble He shall hide me in . . . the secret place of His tabernacle" Psalm 27:5.  "Go, My people, enter your rooms, and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins." Isaiah 26:20, 21. God will use angels and the forces of nature in the seven last plagues to make your rescue the most spectacular rescue that can be imagined.  Make sure that you are drawing close to God, and do all you can now to share this great message with others.    The trials ahead will require patience and knowing God.  Be patient--your rescue will be spectacular!