A cashless economy is an economy without cash, it uses digital money instead, transactions are made by digital devices such as mobile phones.

….If all things are perfect there are still a few down sides to a cashless economy. Money by its nature is abstract. The less cash that flows through our hands, the more intangible it becomes and the more we lose our sense of its real value. Our banked assets are now an electronic apparition, and the fear of not having cash on hand is a downturn….

To be continued..

How will Nigerian politics be in a cash light or cash less economy where carrying of raw cash in ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags is the order of the day? How will the Nigerian socialite spray his money at parties? How can a big  family cope with money for its domestic needs on weekends?

How will the average trader in Alaba market or Main Market, Onitsha, who deals in millions of cash everyday cope with the policy when he has to make huge cash available to respond to quick businesses? How will the illiterate cow seller in the far North buy and sell his cow with the new policy as a cow costs more than the limit set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)?

Beginning from March 30, the CBN cash limit of N150,000 for deposits or withdrawals for individuals will kick-off. Read more…

Why the Cash Policy?

The new cash policy was introduced for a number of key reasons, including:

1. To drive development and modernization of our payment system in line with Nigeria’s vision 2020 goal of being amongst the top 20 economies by the year 2020. An efficient and modern payment system is positively correlated with economic development, and is a key enabler for economic growth.
2. To reduce the cost of banking services (including cost of credit) and drive financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and greater reach.
3. To improve the effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and driving economic growth.

Expected Benefits of the New Cash Policy

A variety of benefits are expected to be derived by various stakeholders from an increased utilization of e-payment systems. These include:

• For Consumers: Increased convenience; more service options; reduced risk of cash-related crimes; cheaper access to (out-of-branch) banking services and access to credit.
• For Corporations: Faster access to capital; reduced revenue leakage; and reduced cash handling costs.
• For Government: Increased tax collections; greater financial inclusion; increased economic development. Read more

Below is Paul Robertson’s treatment of this mournful prediction. I hope it inspires you to increased appreciation of the reality that our heavenly Father is in control of the affairs of the nations of this earth. Let this recognition cause your heart to rest and be confident in God’s power and control of the events that will be happening around you in the coming days. Trust Him that He will do everything He said He will do. If you remain faithful and not let the fear of the things happening to distract you or cause you to abandon your devotion to Him, you will be a witness to His faithfulness in keeping His children safe and secure.

For more information on topical End Times Bible Prophecies, visit ttp://www.apocalypsesoon.org/xfile-9.html.

Damascus Will No Longer Be a City

By Paul Robertson

 “An oracle concerning Damascus: See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.”
The Prophet Isaiah – Chapter 17, verse 1

__________________________

“Go, Daniel! For the matters are obscured and sealed until the time of the End. They will be elucidated and clarified and refined by many [people]; the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand; but the wise will understand.” Daniel 12:9-10 1

Introduction

Many who study Bible prophecy believe that the world’s next imminent prophetic event is the destruction of Damascus prophesied in Isaiah 17. This document presents a hypothetical scenario for the fulfillment of this prophecy based on biblical research and current events. Please note that Isaiah made this prophecy approximately 2800 years ago. It is possible that this prophecy will not be fulfilled for many centuries. It is also possible that God relented or will relent from fulfilling this prophecy, depending on the actions of the people of Damascus. In studying Bible prophecy, times and dates generally elude us, and 20/20 hindsight is the general rule. However, it is interesting to speculate as to our current location on the prophetic timeline as presented in the interwoven prophecies of the Bible. With that in mind, I present this document. Please do not take my reasoning in this document too seriously, as my premises may be incorrect; please test and refine this document with your own study of the scriptures; and please remember that one of the primary duties of all believers is to spread the good news that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross so that we can live forever in the presence of God.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, New American Standard Version).

Bible Prophecy

With perfect accuracy, the Bible predicted such events as:

The 70-year Babylonian captivity of the Jews.

“And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” (Jeremiah 25:11 NKJ) 2

The military campaigns of Alexander the Great.

“And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.” (Daniel 8:5-6 NKJ)

“The ram which you saw, having the two horns — they are the kings of Media and Persia. And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.” (Daniel 8:20-21 NKJ)

The crucifixion of the Messiah.

“For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” (Psalms 22:16-18 NKJ)

The destruction of the second Temple after Messiah’s first appearance.

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.” (Daniel 9:26 NKJ)

The international exile and dispersion of the Jews.

“So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds.” (Ezekiel 36:19 NKJ)

The spread of the good news of the Messiah to all nations.

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6 NKJ)

Jewish persecution, the Holocaust, and related events.

“And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth — to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets.” (Jeremiah 29:18-19 NKJ)

The dispersed Jews’ return from the nations to the land of Israel.

“In the latter years you will come into the land of those … gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations…” (Ezekiel 38:8 NKJ)

Three Chronological Prophetic Events

Although many Bible prophecies have happened, others have not. Can we determine when prophecies will happen chronologically with respect to other prophecies? Many prophecies give clues that appear to link them to other prophecies. Isaiah 17, an oracle concerning Damascus, is such a prophecy. It gives clues that link it to Ezekiel 38-39, the prophecy of the ‘Gog/Magog war,’ a multinational attack against Israel. Ezekiel, in turn, seems to have written chapters 36-43 in the sequence the events in those chapters will happen.3 That sequence indicates that the third Temple will be standing after the Gog/Magog war. Let us now look at these three future events: the destruction of Damascus, the Gog/Magog war, and the construction of the third Temple. These events appear to be chronological and, perhaps, imminent.

Event 1. Isaiah 17: An Oracle Concerning Damascus

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Among ancient cities of the world, Damascus is perhaps the oldest continuously inhabited. Its name, Dimashq in Arabic … derives from Dimashka, a word of pre-Semitic etymology, suggesting that the beginnings of Damascus go back to a time before recorded history.”4

Isaiah, however, prophesied that in the future Damascus will no longer be a city. Isaiah chapter 17 reads:

“An oracle concerning Damascus: ‘See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer* will be deserted…” (Isaiah 17:1-2 NIV)5
* Aroer is in south central Jordan.6

“…and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,”* (Isaiah 17:2-3 NIV)
* The land of Ephraim is the central West Bank.7 Currently, Palestinian Arabs populate this area.

“…and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram* will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 17:3 NIV)
* Aram refers to the Syrians.8

“In that day the glory of Jacob will fade*;…” (Isaiah 17:4 NIV)
* ‘Jacob’ represents the Israelites.

“…the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the grain with his arm— as when a man gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel. In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites*,9 will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth.” (Isaiah 17:4-9 NIV)
* This highlighted statement indicates that the Israelites are combatants in this prophecy.

” And all will be desolation. You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.*” (Isaiah 17:9-10 NIV)

* This may be the reason God allows the events of this chapter to happen.

“Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing* in the day of disease and incurable pain.” (Isaiah 17:10-11 NIV)

* This passage may give a clue to the time of year this prophecy will happen.

The next verses describe an ensuing uproar of many nations and God’s judgment on those nations:

“Oh, the raging of many nations— they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples— they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.” ( Isaiah 17:12-14 NIV)

The above final verses of the chapter transition Isaiah’s oracle concerning Damascus into a prophecy of a multinational alliance that rises against Israel to “loot and plunder.”

Event 2. Multinational Attack (Gog/Magog War)

Ezekiel 38-39

Isaiah’s clues indicate that the multinational attack that follows the destruction of Damascus is the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39.

“The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army–your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops–the many nations with you.‘” (Ezekiel 38:1-6 NIV)

“Gog” is a man. He is the political leader of the leading nation of the multinational alliance. The only clue we have concerning his identity is found in the book of 1 Chronicles.

“…the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son…” (1 Chronicles 5:4 KJV)10

Gog was a descendant of Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob, the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is possible that the commander of the multinational attack is a direct descendant of Gog, a descendant of Reuben, son of Jacob.

Ezekiel describes Israel’s condition at the time of the invasion, through God’s prophetic words to Gog.

“Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hords gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.” (Ezekiel 38:7-8 NIV)

The people of Israel now seem to fit the above description for the first time in history, but with one major exception: they do not yet live in safety. Terrorist attacks continue, and hostile neighbors border Israel. However, if the threat of invasion by Israel’s neighbors ceased, and if the Palestinian unrest ceased, Israel would probably fit the above description. This will may be Israel’s situation after the prophecy in Isaiah 17 is complete (described in the previous section).

Gog, the leader of the multinational alliance, devises a scheme and will say:

“I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.” (Ezekiel 38:12 NIV)

The reason for Gog’s multinational attack is to plunder and loot Israel. At the time of Gog’s attack, Israel will have recovered from war. After the war in Isaiah 17 in which Damascus is destroyed, many nations will rise against Israel to loot and plunder. These clues may indicate that Isaiah 17 transitions into Ezekiel 38 and 39. After Damascus is destroyed, the Gog/Magog war may happen next.

Isaiah 18′s Mystery Nation–China?

Isaiah 18 gives further insight into the Gog/Magog war. Jewish commentators agree that Isaiah 18 concerns the Gog/Magog war.

“Isaiah… speaks to the nations involved in the wars of ‘Gog and Magog.‘”11

After Isaiah summarizes the Gog/Magog war at the end of Isaiah 17, he further explains the war in chapter 18, discussing two nations involved. One is along (or beyond) the rivers of Cush (Ethiopia). This could be the Sudan.

“Woe to the land of whirring wings along the rivers of Cush,* which sends envoys by sea in papyrus boats over the water.” (Isaiah 18:1-2 NIV)
* Cush is the upper Nile region, south of Egypt. The Sudan and Ethiopia are located there. Cush is an ally in the Gog/Magog war: “Persia [Iran], Cush [vicinity of Sudan and Ethiopia], and Put [Libya] will be with them…” (Ezekiel 38:5 NIV; the brackets [ ] are mine).

Isaiah then describes a mystery nation to which Cush will send messengers. Although the mystery nation is not named, a riddle is given that helps us deduce the identity of this nation.

“Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.” (Isaiah 18:2 NIV)

The above translation does not accurately translate the Hebrew text. Using a computerized Hebrew Masoretic Text, I did an exhaustive computer cross-reference of each word that describes the mystery nation. Here is a better description of the mystery nation:

“…a nation led along according to someone else’s will, smooth (or hairless), a people feared from himself and beyond, a nation that stretched measuring lines and subjugated, whose land the rivers plundered.” (Isaiah 18:2, translated by exhaustive computer cross-reference of the Hebrew Masoretic Text) 12

Let us try to identify this ‘mystery nation.’ We will assume that the description of this nation is its condition in the future, when messengers from Cush arrive.

The first clue is based on the Hebrew word “mushach.”13 This word means “led along according to someone else’s will.” It indicates that the people of this nation are led to do things not by their own free will, but by the will of someone else. The people of this nation are not free.

The second clue, “smooth-skinned” (or hairless), comes from the Hebrew word “morat,”14 This word probably means smooth, or hairless. The people of this nation are either clean-shaven, or, more probably, they do not naturally grow facial hair and body hair.

The third clue is that its people are “feared from himself and beyond.” The Hebrew phrase reads, “nora min-hu vahalea.” The descriptive Hebrew root-words are “yare” and “min…halea.”15 The people of this nation are afraid of their own government and the nation is feared worldwide. Their nation may be a world power.

The fourth clue, “a nation that stretched measuring lines and subjugated,” is from the Hebrew words “kav-kav” and “mevusa.”16 he combination of these words indicates that this nation stretched measuring lines (like a carpenter does before he cuts a piece of wood) and then subjugated, or subdued [people].

The fifth clue, “whose land the rivers have plundered” is based on the Hebrew word “bazu.” The verb “bazu” is found nowhere else in the Old Testament except in this chapter in Isaiah. The word, however, is similar to the noun “baz,”17 which means “loot,” or “plunder.” The verb “bazu,” therefore, probably means “looted,” or “plundered.” The passage indicates that rivers will have plundered, or carried off the wealth of this nation’s land before messengers from Cush arrive. The rivers of the ‘mystery nation’ will have severely flooded.

Let us review all the clues. When messengers from Cush go to this ‘mystery nation,’ the nation has the following characteristics:

• The nation is not a free (or democratic) society.
• The nation’s people are smooth-skinned (have little or no facial and body hair).
• The nation is a world power.
• The nation stretched measuring lines and then subjugated or subdued [people].
• The nation will have just experienced massive river flooding.

If this prophecy is imminent, China may be the modern nation that best fits the Biblical description of the mystery nation of Isaiah 18.

Isaiah 18 continues, giving further insight into the Gog/Magog war.

“All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. This is what the LORD says to me: “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches.”* (Isaiah 18:3-5 NIV)
* This sentence may give a clue to the time of year of the Gog/Magog defeat.

“They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals; the birds will feed on them all summer, the wild animals all winter. At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers*— the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 18:6-7 NIV)
* again the ‘mystery nation’ passage is better translated: “…a nation led along according to someone else’s will, smooth-skinned (or hairless), a people feared from himself and beyond, a nation that stretched measuring lines and subjugated, whose land the rivers plundered.” (Isaiah 18:2 & 7)

Isaiah 17 transitions into the Gog/Magog war at the end of the chapter. Isaiah 18 continues, giving further insight into the Gog/Magog war and describing a nation that may be China.

Event 3: The Third Temple

Ezekiel’s Sequence

The prophet Ezekiel described a Jerusalem Temple in chapters 40-43. The passage opens with a vision.

“…I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man said to me, ‘Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see.’” (Ezekiel 40:3-4 NIV)

As the vision unfolded, Ezekiel saw and described, in detail, a Temple that had never been built, nor has it ever been built. Two temples have been built in Jerusalem to date—Solomon’s temple, and the post-Babylonian exile temple that King Herod later renovated. Ezekiel had a vision of the third, future Temple. Modern Jewish Temple movement groups are currently planning to build this ‘Ezekiel Temple’ when the opportunity arises.19 (endnote #18 was omitted)

In chapters 36-43, Ezekiel gave a chronology of three major future events in Israel.20 The first is in Ezekiel 36-37. These chapters describe Israelite people coming out of all nations and returning to Israel. This prophecy has already happened and is still happening as Jews return to Israel.

“For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24 NIV)

“…’This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel…’” (Ezekiel 37:21-22 NIV)

The second major event is in Ezekiel 38-39. It is the Gog/Magog war, discussed above.

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal…” (Ezekiel 38:2 NIV)

The third major event is in Ezekiel 40-43. In these chapters, Ezekiel described the future third Temple in Jerusalem. Based on Ezekiel’s chronology, Israelites will return to Israel (this has already happened and continues to happen), then the Gog/Magog war will be fought, then the third Temple will be standing.

The Prophet Joel: The Porch and the Altar

The prophet Joel, in chapter two, further describes the Gog/Magog invasion (see endnote 21 for an explanation). In Joel chapter two, Joel indicates that before the Gog/Magog war ends, two components of the Temple will exist: the porch and the altar. The altar is the brazen altar used for sacrificing animals.

“Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar…” (Joel 2:17 KJV)

This passage indicates that efforts to rebuild the Temple may begin before the Gog/Magog war ends.

How Imminent Are These Prophecies?

In the 20th century, with the establishment of the state of Israel came the beginning of the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy that the Israelites would be gathered from the nations and would resettle the land of Israel, which had long been desolate (Ezekiel 36-37; Ezekiel 38:7-8). Now that this prophecy is being fulfilled, the following prophecies appear to be upcoming events. Here they are, in their probable chronological order:

• Damascus will be destroyed (Isaiah 17).
• The Gog/Magog multinational war will be fought against Israel (Ezekiel 38-39, transition at end of Isaiah 17, Isaiah 18, Joel 2).
• The third Temple will stand in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40-43).

How imminent are these events? Read more from http://www.apocalypsesoon.org/xfile-9.html

•  That you are actually asking for the Lord Jesus to return to earth and establish His 1000 year reign on the earth?

•   That believers in Christ call this coming to establish His 1000 year reign on the earth, the Second Coming of Christ the Messiah?

•   That this Second Coming of the Messiah of Israel, our own Lord Jesus Christ, will be a literal fulfillment of the promise the angel Gabriel made to Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, when he said to her, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: AND THE LORD GOD SHALL GIVE UNTO HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID: AND HE SHALL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOR EVER; AND OF HIS KINGDOM THERE SHALL BE NO END?” (Luke 1:30-33).

•  That each time you pray, …”Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” you are actually asking our heavenly Father to hasten the day when Jesus begins to reign on the throne of His Father David in Jerusalem?

•  That Christ’s Second Coming to reign on His father David’s throne in Jerusalem will be preceded by the Rapture of the Church?

•  That this 1000 year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ from the throne of His father David is called the Millennial reign?

•  That Revelation 20:1-7 speaks of this reign?

•  That the bride of Christ will come back to reign on earth with Christ during His Millennial reign?

 ARE YOU READY FOR THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH?

Here is the Lord’s counsel concerning your readiness….

“But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the business of] this life, and [lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose; For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth. Keep awake then and watch at all times [be discreet, attentive, and ready], praying that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things [taken together] that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36).

Start today to pray earnestly that you be counted in the number that will escape if you have not been doing so. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking you should take a laid-back attitude toward the Rapture of the Church. Watch and pray so that you are not left behind. To be forewarned is to be forearmed!!!

1384       Wycliffe Bible – “Departynge first”

1526       Tyndale Bible – “Departynge first”

1535       Coverdale Bible – “Departynge first”

1539       Cranmer Bible – “Departynge first”

1576       Breeches Bible – “Departynge first”

1583       Beza Bible –         “Departynge first”

1587       Geneva Bible – “Departynge first” 

That Scripture passage in the King James Version says: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a FALLING AWAY FIRST, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

It should have read:

“Let no man deceive you by any means, for the Lord cometh not, except there come a DEPARTING FIRST, and that that sinful man be opened, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 William Tyndale New Testament).

The Amplified Bible translators noted as a footnote that “A possible rendering of the Greek apostasia is “departure [of the church].””

The Question is

Why did the King James Bible translators of 1611 choose “falling away first?” as opposed to Departing First? Could it possibly be that the King James Version translators used the Last Edition of the 1602 Bishops’ Bible which also translated the verb aposatasia as “falling away first” instead of “departing first?”

The same word is used in 1 Timothy 4:1 where the Bible says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall DEPART FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” According to Tim Lahaye and Thomas Ice, “the very fact that the qualifying words “from the faith” are added, show that in itself the word does not have the idea of a defection from the truth.” Rather, the sense is to depart from a person or from a place. “The predominant meaning of this verb in the New Testament, therefore, is that of the act of a person departing from another person or from a place.

Adapted from Charting the End Times  by Tim Lahaye and Thomas Ice

The implication

Many people who believe that the Church (faithful believers in Christ – i.e. the bride of Christ) will experience the seven year period of God-orchestrated horror on earth called the 7-year Tribulation do not see in this Scripture (2 Thessalonian 2:3) the clear evidence that the Church will not be present on this earth when the 7-year Tribulation starts purely because of this confusion in the KJV translators’ choice. The above Scripture makes it very clear that two things must first happen before this global earth-wide Tribulation period on earth begins. These two things are:

• the departing or departure of the Church (the bride of Christ represented by the five wise virgins of Matthew 25:1-10) to meet the heavenly Bridegroom. This is not the departure of the Church from the faith, rather, it is the departure of the whole body of believers faithful to their heavenly Bridegroom, to meet their Lord and Bridegroom in the air for their onward presentation to their heavenly Father in readiness for their marriage to the Lamb in heaven. Following this departure will be,

•  the revealing of the man of sin also known as the Antichrist, the lawless one and the son of perdition. The revealing of the Antichrist which will be signaled to the world by the signing of the Peace Treaty between the Arab Moslems and the Jews would mark the start of the Tribulation.

Second Thessalonians 2:3 therefore gives us the order of coming events and easily confirms that the Rapture of the Church will take place before the start of the seven years of Tribulation on earth. The faithful Church must depart first, this is followed by the disclosure of the Antichrist on the world’s political stage. The disclosure of the Antichrist marks the start of the 7-year Tribulation. This is the order in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. It is the same order in Revelation chapters 4-6. It is a message of comforting hope.

The question remains why the King James translators in 1611 decided to deviate from the original translation “Departing First” to “Falling away.” They could have saved the brethren a lot of headaches had they not done so.

Op-ed: With mainline churches increasingly anti-Israel, Christian-Jewish relations now at stake

Giulio Meotti

While mainline churches in America seem to be lining up these days to divest from Israel, the Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop condemned the boycott. “The Church does not endorse divestment or boycott”, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori just told a Los Angeles group. “It’s not going to be helpful to endorse divestment or boycotts of Israel.”

The Episcopal Church has two million members and 7,200 churches in the US and is part of the 77-million member Anglican Communion. Because of the relative wealth of its members, and its connections to the Church of England throughout the world, the Episcopal Church is in a strategic position to influence attitudes toward Israel on both a national and global scale.

Since the first Intifada, the mainline churches have become increasingly hostile to Israel, viewing Arab violence as a legitimate grassroots rebellion by “oppressed natives” against Israel’s “colonial conquests” of Palestinian lands. All five of the mainline denominations in the United States – Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Lutheran and United Church of Christ – have debated or adopted policies intended to divest or boycott Israel.

These Churches are now at a crossroad. During the upcoming General Conference of the United Methodist Church scheduled for April 25 in Tampa, Florida, and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA (June 30 in Pittsburgh,) anti-Israel actions in the form of boycott, divestment or sanctions are expected to be brought to the floor for a vote. The strategic objective of this campaign is not economic. It has been and continues to be about the isolation and the weakening of Israel’s image in the eyes of the world — and most crucially, America.

Apologists for Arab rejectionism 

Often identified as supporters of Israel, Pentecostal Churches are now being targeted by BDS activists from the Evangelical camp. The Society for Pentecostal Studies just gathered in Virginia, where it screened “Little Town of Bethlehem,” a film with a virulent anti-Israel message. “World Week for Peace in Palestine,” an initiative of the World Council of Churches,…..Read more

THE PURPOSE OF BIBLE PROPHECY  by Darrell G. Young April, 2006

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

INTRODUCTION

The great philosopher George Santayana is quoted as saying, “those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.” Historians indicate that because of the failure of men to gleam the lessons of history, events in history often seems to repeat in an uncanny cyclical manner. Unfortunately, the lessons that could be learned in one generation are indeed often ignored by another generation, and therefore mankind too often finds itself repeating the same old mistakes, and fighting the same old battles over and over again. In reality though, history doesn’t simply turn in endless cycles, but rather, mankind continues to be plagued by his “fallen condition,” (sinful nature) and to reject the wisdom of His Creator, all of which have demonstrated itself to be nothing more than an overwhelming storehouse of evidence to mankind that there is really nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Truly mankind needs to search through his vast library of knowledge about the things of the past and realize that if he is to ever find contentment in this world, then he must discover the keys of wisdom concerning the one who holds the future. Perhaps the greatest value to be ascertained from the study of Bible Prophecy is in knowing what the future holds for us. If we (present generation) disregard the object lessons of history, and continue to ignore the Great Revealer of the future, we may be condemned not only to repeat (in the present) the mistakes of our ancestors, but we may also lose hope for our future. Whereas eternal life is the ultimate reward for the servants of the Creator, there is yet also a present blessed comfort availed for residence within the souls of those servants who are wise to the fact that God has a recovery (redemption and restoration) plan, and that the purpose of prophecy is to the intent that the servants (friends) of God can be attuned to His plan for the future.

I tell you truly……….this is the primary purpose of prophecy

PROPHECY IS FOR THE SERVANTS, FRIENDS AND HEIRS OF THE LORD

Sometime in eternity past, before the creation of man, God the Father made a covenant of Redemption with God the Son (Christ) in which they fore-acknowledged the inevitability of the Fall of Man, (first Adam) and jointly agreed (covenanted) to a plan to save or redeem man (hence the term redemption and the prepared way of salvation). I Peter 1:18-20: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,) That Divine covenant was “cut” when Jesus submitted himself to the affliction of the Cross.

The Father appointed the Son to be the one (notice that God did not covenant with an angel for this mission) who would redeem man through His death.

John 17:1-5 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

As a part of this Divine covenant Christ was promised a reward for accomplishing His work. (aka; It is finished!) The Father in his part pledged to deliver the Son from death and to exalt Him to His right hand to rule over heaven and earth.

Later, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” was granted unto the Son by the Father after the Son completed His mission in the Divine covenant – (lamb-sacrifice). Only the Lamb of God was deemed worthy by God the Father to “loose the seals’ and open the book that contained the Plan of God. The unveiled book was sent to the servants of the Lord, and it specifically revealed details about world events leading up to the imminent return of Jesus Christ to this world, and the time-table to carry forth with the next great phase in THE PLAN.

Now consider these pertinent facts about The Plan:

- The book of The Revelation specifically states in its opening line that the entire “unveiling” (apocalypse) of the Plan of God was sent to show His servants    things which must shortly come to pass.

- The servants of the Lord that are complicit with the plan of God are also called the Friends of the Lord.

- By being knowledgeable about God’s Plan and therefore participating better as servants in the enactment of the plan, we are not only friends of God, but are all also made to be joint-heirs of the Lord Jesus and therefore confirmed to be partakers in the Kingdom of God.

The word “servants” as utilized in the opening lines of Revelation chapter one is taken from the Greek word “doulos” which means to be a voluntary bondservant or voluntary slave to a wise Master. When the reader of “The Revelation” keys in on the idea that the entirety of that prophetic record was delivered to John specifically for the beneficence of the servants, then it makes it all the more urgent and imperative that the servant-friends of Jesus devour and consume the “opened record” and become alerted to the imminent timing of their destiny to reign as heirs with the King!

John 15:14-15 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Psalms 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Revelation 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

A further implication about the fact that “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” was specifically conveyed to the “servants of Jesus” is the fact that only true and Spirit-led servants can fully comprehend and understand the unveiled prophetic record and the scope of the foreordained Plan of God. (John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.) (I Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory) (I Corinthian 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty).

When Christians remark to me that they find the book of The Revelation too complex, or too complicated, or find it boring and uninteresting, then I have to wonder about the depth of their Spiritual growth and education. The Revelation of Jesus Christ was not intended to be digested and understood by non-Christians (non-servants). When we stop to recall the fact that the Holy Spirit is the primary teacher and guide unto understanding the mystery of God, then it stands to reason that it would be impossible for non-Christians to comprehend prophecy. The world, in general naturally finds the content of The Revelation to be a kind of science–fiction quagmire filled with confusing imagery mazes and fanaticism. This was not meant to be so for the servants of Jesus Christ. The “mystery of God” is supposed to become more alive to the servant of God who reads, comprehends, and keeps (maintains) the prophecy of God’s Holy Prophetic Word.

PROPHECY AND SOME POINTS OF ITS PURPOSE

1. God utilizes Prophecy in his word so there can be a continuous buildup of verifiable historical evidence to mankind of the inspiration, inerrancy, and absolute authority of His Word. Old Testament prophets were sometimes inspired to give a distant prophecy, accompanied by a near prophecy. The purpose for the nearer prophecy was to authenticate both the prophet and his distant (Last Days) prophecy. Prophecy is therefore one of the most powerful authentications of the Word of God gives credibility to the proclamation of the gospel. If Bible skeptics attempt to dispute the Word of God, then they must first disprove the Bible’s proclamations in regard to fulfilled prophecies.

2. Another purpose of Prophecy is intended to produce hope in the life of the Christian, which, in turn, helps to promotes purity and perseverance. This is one of the predominant themes of prophecy in the Bible. (I John 3:2-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure). The assurance and hope which prophecy produces should cause us to live in this world as though its pleasures were temporary and to invest in the world to come, where its blessings are eternal. (II Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness) Prophecy encourages the saint to persevere in resisting evil and in pursuing what is righteous, even amidst persecution and temptation.

3. Another point of the purpose of Prophecy is to convey to us the goal of human history. Prophecy explains to us where God is going in history, and how he is working in the affairs of the nations. It informs man of God’s purposes and exhorts men to conform their lives to God’s goals. If we would desire to serve God, we must conform our lives toward His goals. Prophecy gives us a goal which causes us to renounce former ambitions, to shun what we would logically seek in our human nature, and live in the light of our ultimate purpose and calling for Christ in assisting the building of His Kingdom. (Philippians 3:8-14 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,   And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus).

4. Another valuable purpose of Prophecy is that it intended to create in (especially the generation that begins to see all these things coming to pass-Luke 21:28) us a keen awareness of God’s commitment to his promises and sensitize us to a watchfulness with a measure of urgency and earnest expectations sooner, rather than later. One of the most common maladies of the Christian life is apathy and scoffing in relation to prophecy. Unbelieving scoffers reject the warnings of future judgment, secure in their self-delusion that everything is continuing on as it has from the beginning. Prophecy is given to arouse us from the flesh’s tendency to sleep, and to be energized and alerted to the time for the Lord’s return. (I Thessalonians 5:1-9 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ).

THE PURPOSE OF PROPHECY IS TO REVEAL MOTION IN GOD’S PLAN

As mentioned previously, before creation, and before the Bible was given to man, God had a master working plan, and we must remember that it is to that foreordained plan that He is still working. The Prophet Isaiah wrote by divine inspiration:

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory (Isaiah 46:9-13).

Isaiah’s words are one of the most astounding statements ever written by man. Nowhere in the writings of humankind can anything as profound be found. The claims made herein are supernatural, and therefore, they can apply to none other than God Himself. Here He declares Himself to be the self-existent, eternal, sovereign, uncreated One, “declaring the end from the beginning,” and bringing all his purposes to pass. Where has God declared the end from the beginning? He has told it clearly on the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Holy men of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, wrote of great world events centuries before they were to come to pass. Since it is inherent in the heart of man to know the future, why should he not examine the prophetic Scriptures with an unbiased mind? The magicians, sorcerers, astrologers, diviners, enchanters and necromancers have all failed to predict accurately things of the future. Even today there are multiplied thousands who pay money to listen to palm readers, astrologers, and fortune telling by varied methods, all because of a deep desire to know the future. I believe that such a desire is built within the Creator’s design of man. The first ray of light and hope to come to the world immediately after the fall of man was the promise of a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). This first prediction is the pivotal point of prophecy for the entire Word of God, for it is the cornerstone of God’s Plan. As Job 38:6, Isaiah 28:16, Ephesians 2:20, and I Peter 2:6 relate, Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of God’s Plan.

God’s plan for this world was designed around the appearance once of Christ into this world to make a way to put and end to sin by the sacrifice of himself, and to return after His intercessory work as our High Priest at the climax of the days of man to establish His kingdom on earth.

Hebrews 9:26-28 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

History has much evidence to offer to even the most skeptical observer that Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone indeed met all the particular prophecies concerning the sacrificial Lamb of God. The Old Testament is the most authenticated document in the history of human recordings, and the theme of its structure shows continuous motion in the course of world history from the Garden of Eden to the coming of Christ. Even the measurement of earth time itself has been divided in half by the life of Jesus.

By choosing the man Abraham to father a peculiar and chosen people, (Israel) God set in motion the dynamics that structured a select nation to become the vehicle through which the promised Messiah could be born. The motion of history and God’s Plan in the world can be followed through thousands of prophecies concerning the nation of Israel, in the first, and finally in the second appearance of Jesus. History and God’s Plan are flowing ever in that direction, and the Sign of the Times relative to Christ’s return denotes that the velocity of the motion of history is accelerating towards a climactic landmark in God’s Plan. These facts and signs wave and flutter in the wind out ahead on the servant’s horizon like a victory flag at the end of a great race!

The Olivet Discourse and The Revelation of Jesus Christ are the backbone of New Testament Prophecy, and both were directly conveyed by Jesus himself, and both documents highlight the detail concerning His Second Advent, and the fact that his next appearance will not be for the purpose of making a sacrifice of himself, but to be exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the city chosen for his name.

JESUS IS THE CENTER OF PROPHECY

Begin with Moses and go on through all the prophetic writings, and you will discover that Christ is the grand theme of the Bible. He said: “Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me” (John 5:46). If we deny Him of whom Moses wrote then Moses, by inspiration, becomes our accuser.

To Adam and Eve Christ was promised as the Seed who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).

To Abraham God had said that in Christ all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18 cf. Galatians 3:14-16)

To Israel the Paschal Lamb foreshadowed the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (Exodus 12 cf. John 1:29; I Corinthians 5:7).

When Philip first met Jesus Christ he ran to Nathanael, and said: “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth. (John 1:45)

The closing words of the Bible declare that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). This is but saying that the testimony of Jesus is the “key” to prophecy. His name is called The Word of God, hence the spirit of the Word is not that of confusion, but rather of harmony and promise, all pointing to the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever else the prophets predicted, they did not omit the details of Messiah’s two advents. Prophecy relates primarily to the world’s Redeemer. If you fail to grasp this great truth you have lost the key to a clear understanding of the prophetic Scriptures. All prophecy is to find its final application and fulfillment in the past sufferings, present sufficiency and future sovereignty of the Lord Jesus.

PROPHECY HELPS US TO KNOW THE MIND OF GOD

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). This verse tells us that the prophets themselves are inspired of God, a truth that is supported by the New Testament, for we read, God spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Before the message of the prophets, we must bow humbly if we desire to know God’s secret concerning things to come. The eternal and omniscient God assures His people that much of that which He intends to do He has told His prophets. If the prophet warns of coming judgment, wars, perilous times, famine and the like, it is not because he is a calamity forecaster, but rather the announcer of that which God has told him will surely come to pass. Why blame the prophets for speaking in accordance with God’s Plan? Why shun what he says merely because he has predicted peril before peace, and poverty before plenty? It is God who has truly transmits all Bible Prophecy! When we study the prophets we are studying the movements of God as He takes measures to move His Plan forward at the proper times.

PROPHECY SHINES AS A LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD

Particularly since the development of the atomic bomb, and the wearisome threats from weapons of mass destruction, men in all walks of life, statesmen, scientists, historians, politicians and industrialists, are asking, in effect: “Where are we going? What is the world coming to? Is the world coming to an end?” Many books about the tribulations of our era have been written and their popularity indicates that natural man has uncertainties and worries about the future. The New Testament tells us clearly that understanding of the prophetic Scriptures are essential if man is to have light on the pathway of the future. The apostle Peter said: We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts (II Peter 1:19). Peter had just related what he had seen and heard while on the Mount of Transfiguration, where there was both a vision and a voice from heaven, testifying of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

II Peter 1:17-21 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice (GOD’s) which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Peter says that we have the prophetic Word as a surer confirmation of God’s plans than what he himself saw and heard on the Mount. The Old Testament prophecies are stable and trustworthy. Our present age is distressed, exhausted and fearful of what the future holds. The one bright and cheering lamp for the world’s darkness is the prophetic Word, and the knowledge of God’s Plan for this world as it approaches its hour of crisis. How foolish we are to neglect the only ray of light that can afford a sure knowledge relative to God’s plan for the future!

PROPHECY PROVIDES COMFORT AND HOPE

There are three different attitudes one may take toward the future. The first is indifference, the second is fear and the third is hope. The Bible even calls it a “blessed hope”, for the servants of our Lord. No rational thinking person would adopt an attitude of indifference towards the things that are presently troubling the world. Only Satan can be pleased when people become ensnared in an attitude of fear. But for humanistic men, atheists, and the non-servants of the Lord, fear is predominant. Fortunately, beciase of the Grace offered in God’s Plan, anyone can possess a hope for the future. There is comfort and hope for all believers who love and study the prophetic plan of the Lord. Paul wrote: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4).

What is said here to be true of the Bible in general is, of course, true of the prophetic Scriptures. One of the strongest fears which drive many to despair is the fear of the future. Many people and even some Christians simply cannot have peace of mind unless they have a measure of certainty of what the next day will bring forth. The awful dread of uncertainty and ignorance of God’s Plan robs the average person of peace of mind which may in turn create a spirit of despair and hopelessness. While the heart of the hopeless and the fearful man is failing him, the watching, attuned Christian armed with an understanding of Bible prophecy can face the future with confidence and comfort. We can be of good cheer, for Christ has overcome the world, and he is retuning for his own!

I Thessalonians 5:9-11 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.  5:20 Despise not prophesyings.

Hebrews 3:13-14 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.