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Question:
I have a question for you. Since you believe in I Thessalonians 5:3 which reads, “While they are saying, “Peace and safety !” then destruction will come upon them suddenly”, is this implying that this will happen at the beginning of the 70th week or in the middle of the 70th week? If difficult times are upon us at the moment because of global crisis and wars, does this mean that we can expect better days in the future before the end begins? Will the Antichrist bring times of prosperity with him so he will be accepted and then turn on the prosperity later? Will prosperity mark the beginning of the end? I ask this because I am a student and I want to plan for the future and I would like to know what to expect so that I can plan accordingly. Thank you very much and may God bless you for your great efforts in running this site.
In I Thessalonians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul reminds the Christians about the things that he has taught them (probably from when he was last with them). He taught them about the Day of the Lord. He reminds them that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night and says:
While they are saying, “Peace and safety !” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child , and they will not escape. (I Thessalonians 5:3)
According to Revelation 11, this will happen during the middle of the 70th week (to which the prophet Daniel referred in Daniel 9:24-27). This will probably not be because of actual peace but because people will “think” that peace and safety have finally come upon the earth. Why? Because up until this point, God will allow two prophets to prophecy in Jerusalem and they will have the power to strike with all sorts of plagues any time that they want.
“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. “These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies ; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying ; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. (Revelation 11:3-6)
Because of this, the people of the earth will see the Antichrist as a great liberator and will rejoice at his appearing because they will believe that he has brought peace and safety. This will take place after 3 and 1/2 years of “torture” on behalf of the 2 witnesses.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate ; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 11:7-10)
After the two witnesses are dead for 3 and 1/2 days, the destruction will begin:
But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet ; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell ; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past ; behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “ The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
As far as your plans go, I think it would be good for you to listen to the advice of Gandhi, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever”. Many blessings.