Church of God News

COGwriter

Japan is the one of the wealthiest nations in the world, yet after a powerful earthquake hit northern Japan last week, there are shortages, even in Tokyo:

Japan earthquake: Fears and shortages in stricken Tokyo

BBC News – Chris Hogg 14 March 2011

The shelves of many shops in Tokyo have been emptied of supplies.

Considering that Japan is so wealthy, the fact that even Tokyo has been affected, should give all in the West pause to consider that there situation could change quickly as well.  Even though Japan should eventually get out of this problem (and perhaps shortly, at least the main immediate issues) the reality is that modern food supply chains can get disrupted fairly quickly.

When I watched the news last night, there were long lines (average wait seemed to be three or more hours) in northern Japan to get the only three or four items (water, rice, tea, and possibly something like Top Ramon) that a store could get.

Some do not think there will be a problem in the West because things seem to be the same. Is that the acceptable biblical criteria?

“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:38-39).

But what about all the official assurances those in the West will be receiving from the “experts”?

“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’, then sudden destruction comes upon them” (I Thessalonians 5:3).

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow…But now you boast in arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you” (James 4:13,16,17; 5:1).

Are not the peoples in the Western countries rich?

Does the Bible teach that we are to ignore problems?

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that will he reap…Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:7,10).

“The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly” (Proverbs 26:16).

“But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was” (James 1:22-24).

Roderick C. Meredith, the presiding evangelist of the Living Church of God wrote the following:

Events prophesied in your Bible are now beginning to occur with increasing frequency. In this Work of the living God, we are able to warn you about what is going to happen soon. We are not talking about decades in the future. We are talking about Bible prophecies that will intensify within the next five to 15 years of your life!

Please understand. We are not “scaremongers.” We love our fellow man. So it is our responsibility to warn our peoples—ahead of time—to prepare for the future. Most of our advice is spiritual in nature. However, in this editorial I want to give you some common sense advice involving your physical survival and your financial well-being…

We must always remember the “Big Picture” prophecy of Matthew 24:6–11. Christ explains that there will be smaller wars within “nations” and major conflicts between “kingdoms.” He indicates in Luke 21:11 that “fearful sights”—or, as a number of translations have it, “terrors”—will come upon us, as well as truly “great” earthquakes at the time of the end. Concurrently, there will be famine and disease epidemics. If we are truly Bible-believing Christians, we need to prepare for these situations…

God warned Joseph, back in the land of Egypt, to set aside extra food for a prophesied famine (Genesis 41:25–57). Obviously, God could have said: “Don’t worry or take any evasive action, I will simply deliver you—no matter what happens!” However, the Bible—which reveals the mind of God—indicates that God wanted Joseph and his people to go through the experience of setting aside extra foodstuffs and learning to do their part in preparing for a future calamity. As the Apostle James wrote, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).

It is better for human beings to learn the lessons through these situations, and experience exercising caution, wisdom and perseverance, rather than having God “deliver” us from every possible catastrophe. For God is training us to be His full sons in His Kingdom and family forever…

Our Father tells us in Proverbs 22:3 that a “prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.” Obviously, God does not want us to be cowards. But it is also obvious that a wise man or woman should sometimes “hide himself”—take evasive action—or be secretly let down over the city wall and “flee”—as the Apostle Paul did in a dangerous situation (Acts 9:23–25)!

So we must each examine our own situation to determine what action we should take. Are we living in a low-lying coastal area where we may be in danger at a time of increasing hurricanes, tsunamis or similar natural disasters? Do we have at least a week’s supply of emergency food and water, flashlight batteries, a first-aid kit, a battery-powered radio, prescription medications and other essential items? Have we read the instructions from our nation or region about how to prepare for such emergencies as hurricanes, earthquakes or terrorists attacks?

I also want to strongly encourage our subscribers—especially the Americans—to prepare for a financial emergency that may strike our nation within a very few years. Although I am certainly not a financial expert, I do have access to many very reliable news sources. Right now, more and more news reports are warning of an impending financial collapse that may devastate the United States within the next several years!

A first priority would be to pay off all credit card debts—and all other debts we possibly can. We should also have at least the equivalent of 60 days’ living expenses in case of a sudden breakdown in the banking system or a similar emergency. Also, we should gradually work out a family budget that allows us, over time, to set aside financial resources to carry us through a year or more in case of job loss, catastrophic health situation, etc.

Finally, we should not leave God out of the picture. Although the natural reaction would be to take care of the financial side and forget about God, the truly wise approach is to honor our Creator in this matter and know, in faith, that He will then bless and guide all our other efforts. The Bible tells us, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9–10).

Jesus Christ Himself instructed: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21).

If you truly believe in the living God and in His inspired word, you will do your part to support His Work even in trying times. Then the Creator will certainly “be there” when you desperately need Him. But even if you do not yet understand this spiritual matter, be sure to be aware of what is going to happen physically, and take immediate steps to begin putting your own financial house in order. You owe it to your family and yourself!

The complete version of the above article is available at http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine34&item=1104274596

Dr. Meredith also publicly has taught:

Put aside some food and store some water…Bad times are coming, have some supplies (Meredith RC. Prophecy Overview. Sermon, July 19, 2008).

Get extra food, dried food, and water…When these things happen, maybe God’s people can survive longer…It’s good to be prudent (Meredith RC. Do you actually live by faith? Sermon, April 25, 2009).

And preparation certainly makes a lot of sense.  Both physically and spiritually.

The Japanese remain in my prayers.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? What is “the beginning of sorrows”? Have we begun or are we about ready for “the beginning of sorrows” to begin.
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? Where did the Japanese people come from? Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?

UCG’s Logo for its Beyond Today television program

COGwriter

The United Church of God (UCG) produces a magazine titled the Good News and a television program titled Beyond Today.  Comparisons with past issues show a dropping of impact for both of those public proclamation tools for UCG.

At its peak, UCG was producing over 500,000 copies of its Good News magazine per issue.  This number has been dropping for some time.  UCG’s  Good News magazine circulation was 328,000 for its latest issue (Good News Magazine, March-April 2011, p. 2). It was 339,000 for its January-February 2011 issue.  And this is down from 362,000 a few issue before (Good News Magazine, October 2010, p. 2).

The November-December 2010 edition of its Good News magazine listed that its Beyond Today was on 215 television stations.  Yet, according to the latest issue, Beyond Today is on no more than 35 television stations (Good News Magazine, March-April 2011, p. 29).   As it turns out, most of the stations that were dropped were public access ones with limited audiences.  But it is still on superstation WGN.

UCG reported a couple of days ago that it received its third highest WGN response of 1,016.  FWIW, this is much less than what LCG’s Tomorrow’s World telecast receives from WGN each week (LCG reported expecting over 5000 responses to its telecast for the same weekend that UCG reported 1016, see the latest World Ahead Weekly Update).  But getting a thousand responses is way better than what UCG usually has received.

Television has never been a top financial priority for UCG.  But going on WGN last summer seemed to be its first real effort to put some significant financial backing to its telecasting efforts.

How long Beyond Today will remain on WGN or similar commercial stations in the future remains a question (beyond whatever contractual arrangements UCG entered into).

For those unfamiliar with UCG, perhaps it should be mentioned that UCG lost over 1/2 of its paid USA ministry and most of its Latin American ministry since June 2010 (174 ministers/elders in total).  Most of them went with a new group that formed called COGWA, who claims to have 170 ministers/elders.  The split mainly had to do with personality matters and not doctrine.

Because of the situation with its split, UCG may encounter financial difficulties which may impact further the number of magazines it produces and the number of television stations it remains on.  Despite its public attempt to act like it continues to push forward as its has in the past, the reality is that a closer look at its own reported numbers shows that it is having less impact.

On a somewhat related note, UCG just reported that it is making changes to its website that will go into effect in May 2011.  FWIW, its beyondtoday.tv website has plunged down to an Alexa popularity of 1,061,135 from 429,811 in May 2010, despite going on WGN last July (the lower the number the higher the popularity).

UCG is trying to cope with what it has been through, but its impact seems to be lessening in many areas.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?
Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God This article provides quotes information from the two largest groups which had their origins in WCG as well as commentary.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
Concerns about Church of God, a Worldwide Association Known as COGWA, this seems to be the largest group that came out of the United Church of God.  Here is some history and concerns about it. UCG’s former president Clyde Kilough and UK CEO Pater Hawkins are part of it.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.

Wheat

COGwriter

In yesterday’s World Ahead announcements, LCG had the following:

Agriculture and Future Hunger. Economists predict that unless there is an unusually large wheat harvest this year, world wheat prices will experience “wild price swings” over the next year. According to Keith Collins, former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “The stage is set for very serious disruptions, should weather disasters happen… It seems clear to me that the chance of a more widespread global food crisis has increased.” The U.S. currently controls “55% of the world trade in corn, as well as 44% of the soybean trade, 41% of the trade in cotton and 28% of the wheat.” Also, because of global and economic demands on corn, by the time of the fall 2011 corn harvest the U.S. is expected to have only enough corn reserves to feed the nation for 18 days—a supply deficit seen only once since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. In addition, “many economists worry about what would happen to food prices if a long-overdue drought were to hit the Midwest’s corn-and-soybean-growing states this summer.” Even though global production has increased in recent years, the global demand for food is outpacing food production! A major natural disaster could result in a world hunger not seen before (The Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2011). Bible prophecies warn that “famines and pestilences” will be one of the signs of the end of the age (Luke 21:11), and that end-time scarcities would see a quart of wheat selling for a day’s wage (Revelation 6:6). Finally, God warned that the Israelite-descended nations would experience starvation due to their disobedience (Leviticus 26:19-20). The stage is being set for these devastating events

Of course, we in the Living Church of God have long believed that hunger was going to come to America and its Anglo-allies.

One thing that I wish to add is the increasing use of genetically modified organisms for many of the grain crops in the USA is putting parts of humanity at major increased risk of unintended consequences such as famine and disease pestilences.  Most of the corn and soy beans produced in the USA are genetically-modified.  Soon, much of the wheat will be.  Directly and indirectly, the USA will cause most of the problems that it will be experiencing in the next several years.

Jesus foretold on a time of famines and wars as part of “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8) and that there would be “troubles” (Mark 13:8). World events are aligning towards the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

Now there is good news as ultimately, God’s kingdom will come and food shortages will be gone:

16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore (Revelation 7:16).

But a terrible hour of trial is coming first (Revelation 3:10).

As Jesus said:

37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:36-37)

Tougher times are coming. And for some parts of the world these tougher time may be here now. People who can prepare, should. Both spiritually and physically. Westerners need to realize that this will not only affect people in places like Africa, Asia, and the Middle East–the Anglo-descended nations of the West will themselves suffer hunger, civil unrest, famine, and worse.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011 or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2018 or 2019?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?

VS.

COGwriter

According to the False Prophet Ronald Weinland site, in his sermon yesterday, Ronald Weinland stated the following:

Some can’t wait for me to say that I am not a prophet or to say that I’m a false prophet.  Indeed, no one has long to wait, do they?  May the 27th 2012 is not too far away.  And if Europe hasn’t arisen by early 2012 and if China does not begin destroying the earth before that date, then the reality would be manifest much sooner.  Obviously. You have to wait until 2012.  Then the question that they ask “What would I do?”

Well, first I’d repent before God and the church.  I’d acknowledge my sin and pray that God have mercy on me for being so horribly presumptuous.   Candidly, I’d deeply repent of all those things that concern prophecies that I’ve given in the office of a prophet.

Ronald Weinland claimed in 2008 that if the USA was not nuked by the summer of the same year that he would admit that he was a false prophet.  So now, he is claiming that he will be truthful this time if he is proven to be false–which he will once again be (and of course, those that look to scripture above his words will recognize that he is already proven to be false).

While some heard his warning (mainly on the internet) a few years ago, the vast majority of people have never heard of him.

Amongst other things, Ron Weinland is claiming to be one of the two witnesses, claiming that the Great Tribulation began on December 14, 2008 (after originally insisting that it began on April 17, 2008), and claiming that Jesus will return on May 27, 2012.

The fact that the events of the Great Tribulation have still not began has not caused enough of his followers to experience disbelief yet.

The Bible is clear that one whose prophecies do not come to pass does not speak for God:

21 “And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’– 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

Ronald Weinland has often spoken presumptuously.

As I have been writing for years, Ronald Weinland is a false prophet and is NOT one of God’s two witnesses.

I feel sorry for Ronald Weinland and those who follow him. Hopefully now more of them will wake up. Because the main “Great Tribulation” that his followers are experiencing now is continuing to be led by the imaginations of Ronald Weinland.

The biblical Great Tribulation has not yet began and those who believe otherwise have allowed themselves to be deceived. None should follow Ronald Weinland, nor other false prophets (the followers of Harold Camping will be very disappointed in less than three months when his prediction for the return of Jesus will be shown to be false).

Those following Ronald Weinland should wake up now, and not wait until May 28, 2012 when Jesus does not return by the day before.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the Great Tribulation on December 14, 2008, and that Jesus will return on May 27, 2012. Is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
Harold Camping’s Teachings About the End of the World Do Not Agree with the Bible Harold Camping teaches that the rapture will be on May 21, 2011 and the world will end on October 21, 2011. What does the Bible show?
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–and Ronald Weinland is one of them–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

Earth cracked by quake in Japan (Danny Choo)

COGwriter

The magnitude 8.9 earthquake that hit northern Japan Friday affected the planet:

Quake shifted island, sped up Earth’s rotation

Sun Mar. 13 2011…

Early data from Japan suggests the earthquake moved the island about 2.4 metres, according to Kenneth Hudnut of the U.S. Geological Survey…

Late Friday, scientists at NASA revealed the quake shaved more than a microsecond from the day. The quake, which lasted about two minutes, sped up the earth’s rotation by about 1.6 microseconds. (One microsecond is one-millionth of a second.)…

Meanwhile, a report from Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology suggested Friday’s quake shifted the Earth on its axis by an estimated 10 centimetres.

The quake was the fifth-largest recorded in the world since 1900.  http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110312/earthquake-shifted-island-110312/20110313/?hub=CalgaryHome

If any of these changes will affect weather patterns and/or food production in any significant way is not clear.

What is clear is that those in Japan have been severely shaken, as have some Western journalists:

Japan counts death toll after biblical scenes of destruction

Guardian, UK – March 12, 2011

As entire communities remained cut off, one exhausted emergency worker said: “We witnessed biblical scenes. Huge container ships were tossed around like matchsticks. There was nothing anyone could do.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/12/japan-counts-death-toll-destruction

Thousands flee nuclear fallout

New Zealand Herald – March 13, 2011

Japan’s worst recorded earthquake, a 10m tsunami, and the rumbling, shaking threat of a nuclear meltdown combined with an almost Biblical authority. The end times, it seemed, had come.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10712112

‘It looks like the end of the world’: quake devastates Japan

The National, UAE – March 11, 2011

In scenes described by a television commentator as “looking like the end of the world“, waves of up to 10 metres slammed into Japan’s north-east, sweeping away buildings, ships and cars as though they were bathtub toys.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/asia-pacific/it-looks-like-the-end-of-the-world-quake-devastates-japan

APOCALYPSE JAPAN

Thousands feared dead in tsunami.

The Sun, UK – March 13, 2011

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3461355/Japan-Thousands-feared-dead-in-tsunami.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

Japanese volcano erupts

Sapa-AFP – March 13, 2011

A volcano in southwestern Japan erupted Sunday after nearly two weeks of relative silence, sending ash and rocks up to four kilometres (two and a half miles) into the air, a local official says.

It was not immediately clear if the eruption was a direct result of the massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked northern areas Friday, unleashing a fierce tsunami and sparking fears that more than 10,000 may have been killed. http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/article965229.ece/Japanese-volcano-erupts

Japanese survivors worry about dwindling supplies, food

Washington Post – March 13, 2011

Along hundreds of miles of Japan’s northeast coastline, entire towns are swamped and concern is increasing among survivors and aid workers about dwindling supplies.

Two days after a massive earthquake and the resulting tsunami turned a strip of Japan into wreckage, the hardest-hit areas still don’t have enough of what they need, according to those in shelters. There’s not enough food, not enough water and no heat. And there are not enough resources to quickly reach – or even contact – the tens of thousands who remain missing. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/13/AR2011031300977.html?hpid=topnews

What’s up with all the disasters?

Toronto Sun – March 12, 2011

What on Earth is going on? Are those Doomsday wackos right?

Tsunami pounds Japan. Quake pummels New Zealand. Floods drown Australia. Haiti in ruins. Chile, China rocked. Pakistan under water. An Icelandic volcano halts air travel. Catastrophes kill nearly 300,000 people in 2010.

The 8.8 Chile quake shifts the earth’s axis three inches. Perhaps you noticed, a day is now 1.26 millionths of a second shorter.

From Arkansas to Italy, over a few days in January, thousands of birds fall dead from the sky. They call it Aflockalypse. Millions of fish go belly up…

What a mess 2011 is shaping up to be.

But the images from Japan are especially gobsmacking, like something out of Battle: Los Angeles, the new alien invasion flick. But more unsettling, more apocalyptic, more real…

Dec. 21, 2012 is a popular bet, according to those who believe that when it comes to planetary demise, what’s Mayan is yours. http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/mike_strobel/2011/03/12/17593401.html

Since biblical terms are being used, perhaps more Japanese will consider reading the Bible themselves.

Jesus, of course, warned about a time with such issues:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

We may be at this prophetic point as all the earthquakes and other problems that have happened in the past year or so could be considered as “troubles”.

Perhaps the earthquake can serve as a wake-up call to the Japanese and others that the world can change very quickly and that the time to repent is now:

30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.  (Acts 17:30-31)

There are troubles and repentance is needed.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? What is “the beginning of sorrows”? Have we begun or are we about ready for “the beginning of sorrows” to begin.
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? Where did the Japanese people come from? Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This link also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, world events have aligned with at least 14 predictions in the book and many more will to come to pass.
2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta 2012 libro del Dr. Thiel en Español.
2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Edition) 2012 Buch von Dr. Thiel in deutscher Sprache.
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel em Português. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 14 já começaram a acontecer.

جامعة الدول العربية
Jāmaʻat ad-Duwwal al-ʻArabiyya Arab League Flag

COGwriter

There is still fighting going on in Libya and the Arab League has apparently taken sides:

Cairo – Arab foreign ministers on Saturday began discussing the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya at an Arab League meeting in Cairo.

The Libyan delegation, which arrived in Cairo on Friday, did not attend the meeting.

The League suspended Libya’s membership last month because of the violence used by government forces against protesters calling for Moamer Gaddafi to step down.  http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/africa/news/article_1625568.php/Arab-League-begins-talks-about-no-fly-zone-over-Libya

Libyan rebels called Saturday for help from the Arab League as it met for key talks on the conflict, including recognition for their council and backing for a no-fly zone to help their battered forces.

On the front line, rebel fighters had pulled back from the town of Ras Lanuf, where an oil refinery was still in flames and Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s forces appeared to be in control, AFP reporters said.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa also called for a no-fly zone and said he wants the pan-Arab organisation to play a role in imposing it, in an interview published Saturday.  http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/battered-libya-rebels-seek-arab-league-backing-20110312-1bsff.html

Germany and the European Union foreign policy chief have both said they would look to the Arab League’s decision to help guide their own policy on the issue.

The 27 EU members on Friday endorsed the Libyan National Council as “a political interlocutor.” http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/9000870/at-arab-league-oman-urges-action-on-libya/

Two diplomats say the Arab League has agreed to ask the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, a decision that would give a regional seal of approval that NATO has said is needed for any military action.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/arab-league-to-officially-request-un-impose-no-fly-zone-on-libya-1.348747

The Arab League is making some gestures and getting some support from the EU.  Those gestures, plus the fact that many fleeing Libyans have been allowed into some of the Arab League countries, will likely bode well for the Arab League after the situation in Libya stabilizes.  Having the Arab League doing anything  may help Arabs feel that they need to trust themselves more than ever.

As I have been reporting, I believe that interim governments will likely be put in place in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and other lands in the Middle East/North Africa.  These will be followed ultimately by one that supports a pan-Arabic leader known biblically as the King of the South, but also known as the Caliph or Imam Mahdi by various ones in the Islamic world. The stage clearly is being set for this to happen as this latest step by the Arab League is consistent with that.

Notice what one Muslim wrote about the appearance of their Mahdi:

SIGNS BEFORE HIS APPEARANCE AS THE MEHDI

The world will be filled with a great amount of injustice and oppression. There will be widespread evil in which all people will be heavily involved.

Muslim countries and their people will have become so weak that even animals would defeat them in battle.

Muslims would be totally disunited, hence their state of weakness. On the other hand, the Kuffar of the whole world would be united under one leader…

Throughout the world earthquakes would occur frequently. Innocent people will be put to death…

I would suggest that the protesters and rebels in the Middle East believe that they have been subject to injustice and oppression. If an earthquake happens in the region, it would seem that some may consider that to be a sign for the leader to rise up as they already believe that they have the injustice and oppression.

Yet, while it may also take a war in the Middle East for this leader to rise up, civil unrest, riots, rebellions, demonstrations, and protests may also be involved. Things are changing in the Arab world. And events are lining up for the King of the South/Imam Mahdi to arise.

R.C. Meredith of the Living Church of God (LCG) wrote:

Al Qaeda named its Internet newscast, which debuted in September, ‘The Voice of the Caliphate.’…Kerem Acar, a tailor in central Istanbul {said} ‘…one day maybe my children’s children will see someone declare himself the caliph, like the pope, and have an impact’” (January 14, 2006).  Indeed, a coming “Mahdi” whose arrival Muslims are expecting—in Bible prophecy known as the “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40–45)—will soon arise and have a dramatic impact on world events. This powerful Muslim religious leader will unite many of the more than one billion Muslims. He will pose a genuine threat to the coming European Empire, which will have to crush that threat in order to continue exploiting Middle Eastern oil to further its military ambitions. (Meredith RC. Prophecy Fulfilled: God’s Hand in World Affairs. LCG Booklet, 2007, pp. 16-17)

And the current situation in Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world seem to be pointing in that direction. There will also be more riots in Europe and even some in the USA, but the ones in the Middle East are the ones that will apparently set the stage for the rising up of the final King of the South.

Three articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?

Earth cracked by quake in Japan (Danny Choo)

COGwriter

The powerful earthquake that hit northern Japan yesterday had a variety of ramifications:

The official death toll from Friday’s earthquake and tsunami stands at 574, while local media reports put fatality totals closer to 1,300 people. With thousands unaccounted for, that number is expected to rise.

Police said between 200 and 300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the largest city in the area near the quake’s epicenter.

Officials are also trying to contain a potential nuclear crisis. Nuclear plants were disabled and thousands of people were urged to evacuate because of potentially high radiation levels.

Ryohei Shiomi with Japan’s Nuclear Safety Commission said that a meltdown was possible at one of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.   http://abcnews.go.com/International/japan-searches-survivors-earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-emergency/story?id=13120666&page=1

One report said four whole trains had disappeared Friday and still not been located. Another said 9,500 people in one coastal town were unaccounted for and that at least 200 bodies had washed ashore elsewhere.

Atsushi Ito, an official in Miyagi prefecture, among the worst hit states, could not confirm those figures, noting that with so little access to the area, thousands of people in scores of town could not be contacted or accounted for.  http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/12/explosion-at-japan-nuclear-plant-disaster-death-toll-rises/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%7C205842

Local authorities reported that almost 10,000 people – out of a population of 17,000 – were missing from the fishing port of Minamisanriku, which was engulfed by huge waves that swept inland for six miles. The earthquake was so powerful that Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the Earth’s axis shifted 9.8in. The US Geological Survey said the main island of Japan had moved 7.8ft  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8378631/Japan-earthquake-tens-of-thousands-missing-as-full-devastation-emerges.html

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is urging people to move at least 20 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant where an explosion occurred Saturday. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Japans-PM-Urges-Evacuation-Near-Nuclear-Plant-117850648.html

(CNN) — An explosion at an earthquake-damaged nuclear plant was not caused by damage to the nuclear reactor but by a pumping system that failed as crews tried to bring the reactor’s temperature down, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Saturday.  http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/japan.nuclear/

Associated Press – March 11, 2011

JAKARTA, Indonesia – One of Indonesia’s most active volcanos has erupted, sending lava and searing gas clouds tumbling down its slopes.

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, is located on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

The eruption happened hours after a massive earthquake in Japan that triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110311/ap_on_re_as/as_indonesia_volcano_1

Causing Japan’s main island to move almost 8 feet suggests a huge amount of power was released by that quake.

It has previously been reported that earthquakes can trigger volcanic eruptions (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090110084653.htm)–and that may be what happened in Indonesia.

The following, reported by ABC, was also of interest:

Many in Tokyo spent the night in their cars trying to get home because the highways were closed and cars clogged the city’s streets.

Store shelves were stripped bare by shoppers and thousands more spent the night in their offices.

So even in Tokyo people cleared store shelves of necessities.  People need to take precautions as troubles are hitting some areas and more will hit others (see also Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians).

Jesus, of course, warned about a time with such issues:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

We may be at this prophetic point as all the earthquakes and other problems that have happened in the past year or so could be considered as “troubles”.

Troubles will also be coming to the Anglo-descended lands.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? What is “the beginning of sorrows”? Have we begun or are we about ready for “the beginning of sorrows” to begin.
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? Where did the Japanese people come from? Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?

Union for the Mediterranean

Blue: Members of the European Union in the Union for the Mediterranean States
Green: Other members (primarily from the African Union & Arab League)

COGwriter

In today’s TW News & Prophecy, LCG reported two items relatled to the Union for the Mediterranean States, the EU, and the Middle East:

Revive the Mediterranean Union!

The Mediterranean Union (UfM), first started with the major support of President Sarkozy of France, is now receiving renewed support by France and Germany. France’s new Foreign Minister, Alain Juppé, has called for the reinvigoration of the UfM as “more necessary than ever.” Angela Merkel of Germany, who initially criticized the UfM’s creation back in 2007, recently recognized the tremendous need for this Union to support the EU’s work in the Middle East and Mediterranean rim nations.

She stated in a press conference with her Austrian counterpart: “The existence of the Union for the Mediterranean is a good thing. It gives us new opportunities to start to work together with the North-African countries… We think that we have to provide, at mid-term and long-term, our economic support and our ‘know how’ to help the growth in this area; not only for Libya, but also for the other countries in the area” (LeFigaro.fr, March 2, 2011).

The Bible indicates that–for a time–Germany would ally itself with the Arab peoples of Moab, Edom, Philistia, Ammon, and even the Babylonians and Chaldeans (Psalm 83:5-8; Ezekiel 23:22-23). These ancient peoples represent modern nations in the Middle-Eastern region. This alignment-of-necessity will only last for a short time and then be broken as Germany and the European Beast power take the unrestrained lead (Daniel 11:40-43).

Actions throughout the Middle East now, as well as in Europe, are falling in line with these prophecies.

The EU must lead in the Middle East.

In a recent interview with the EU Observer, the Syrian ambassador to the EU made some very poignant and sobering comments. The ambassador, Mr. Mohamad Ayman Soussan, pointed out that the tide of civil unrest currently moving through the Middle East is due to the Arab-Israeli conflict and not other causes. He commented, “Our European friends have a responsibility here, because Europe is the principal economic partner of Israel. They have all the means at their disposal to make Israel reconsider its position vis-a-vis international law. Europe must assume this responsibility if it ever intends to take its rightful place in the international order” (EUObserver.com, February 17, 2011). So, the Syrian ambassador to the EU is calling on the EU to take a much larger “rightful place” in Middle East affairs.

More than 2,600 years ago, Bible prophecy revealed this would happen , as Daniel foresaw an end-time Beast or King of the North moving into the Middle East (Daniel 11:40-43). Jesus Christ also prophesied of a time when Jerusalem would be surrounded by Gentile armies and the Beast power would set up the “abomination of desolation” there (Luke 21:20-24; Matthew 24:15-16).

It is sobering to see world events fitting into these ancient prophecies! For more information on this exciting topic, read our free booklet The Middle East in Prophecy.

I have long found this Mediterranean union to be of prophetic interest as it essentially includes a “president from the North” (was French President Nicolas Sarkozy) and a “president of the South (was Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak). Eventually, it may be that these positions could represent the prophesied final King of the North and King of the South (or the Union for the Mediterranean States leaders may simply take direction from these “Kings”).  Or at least a framework by which various prophecies can be fulfilled.

For example, I have long suspected that this Union for the Mediterranean States could be the framework for making the prophesied deals between the prophesied final King of the North and King of the South (Daniel 9:27, Psalm 83):

27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time (Daniel 11:27).

3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5 For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot (Psalm 83:3-8).

Not only Israel, but those in the Anglo-descended nations need to be concerned about the ramifications of the prophesied deal in Psalm 83 as Assyria represents a significant portion of the modern EU.

The EU is determined to be heavily involved in the Middle East and will help fulfill various biblical prophecies (Daniel 11:27-44 also comes to immediate mind).

Events are happening right now to line up the fulfillment of many end time prophecies.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?

COGwriter

A powerful earthquake hit northern Japan today:

8.9 quake kills hundreds in Japan

Los Angeles Times – David Pierson – ‎30 minutes ago‎

The quake triggers a tsunami that threatens much of the Pacific. Up to 300 bodies are found in the city of Sendai in northeastern Japan, an area believed to have been hit hardest by the massive waves…

The city of 1 million was struck by a wave 20 feet high, then another 33 feet high. A hotel collapsed and large ships in port were seen lying on their sides.

The impact of this earthquake seems major.  A review I just did suggests that this may be the biggest earthquake ever to hit Japan.  Now like Chile, Japan is more prepared for large earthquakes than most other countries, but this one is quite large and troublesome.

A tsumani watch has also been implemented. ( Even near where I live, they have evacuated 1000 people and closed at least one school for concerns about waves and a possible tsunami.)

Jesus, of course, warned about a time with such issues:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

We may be at this prophetic point as all the earthquakes and other problems that have happened in the past year or so could be considered as “troubles”.

The Japanese are in my prayers.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? What is “the beginning of sorrows”? Have we begun or are we about ready for “the beginning of sorrows” to begin.
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? Where did the Japanese people come from? Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?

Jesus Returns on the Last Trumpet Blast

COGwriter

Results of a survey were recently released:

What Evangelical Leaders Believe about the End Times

Christian Post – March 9, 2011

A majority of evangelical leaders believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth and then reign with his followers for 1,000 years, a new survey shows.

This end times theology is called premillennialism and 65 percent of surveyed evangelical leaders identify with it.  http://www.christianpost.com/news/poll-what-evangelical-leaders-believe-about-the-end-times-49340/

The Bible teaches:

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed —  52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (1 Corinthians 15:50-52)

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.   (Revelation 20:4-6)

9…For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10)

Of course, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and most Eastern Orthodox do not believe in a millennial reign of Jesus Christ with His people on the earth.

Yet among American Eastern Orthodox, many of them do believe in it.

Why?

Well in addition to the biblical passages, the American Eastern Orthodox realize that many of their early leaders/saints taught it.

Even though he held some odd ideas,  Justin Martyr (a Catholic/Orthodox saint) taught about the millennium in the second century:

But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.

For Isaiah spake thus concerning this space of a thousand years: ‘For there shall be the new heaven and the new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, or come into their heart; but they shall find joy and gladness in it, which things I create’…For as Adam was told that in the day he ate of the tree he would die, we know that he did not complete a thousand years. We have perceived, moreover, that the expression, ‘The day of the Lord is as a thousand years,’ is connected with this subject. And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place (Dialogue. Chapters 80-81).

Hippolytus was, and is still considered to have been, an important Roman Catholic leader and saint.  Notice what he wrote in the early third century:

And 6, 000 years must needs be accomplished, in order that the Sabbath may come, the rest, the holy day “on which God rested from all His works.” For the Sabbath is the type and emblem of the future kingdom of the saints, when they “shall reign with Christ,” when He comes from heaven, as John says in his Apocalypse: for “a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.”Since, then, in six days God made all things, it follows that 6, 000 years must be fulfilled. (Hippolytus. On the HexaËmeron, Or Six Days’ Work. From Fragments from Commentaries on Various Books of Scripture. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0502.htm verified 9/17/07).

Another third century proponent was an African bishop/pastor named Nepos.  Here is what The Catholic Encyclopedia reported:

An Egyptian bishop, Nepos, taught the Chiliastic error that there would be a reign of Christ upon earth for a thousand years, a period of corporal delights; he founded this doctrine upon the Apocalypse in a book entitled “Refutation of the Allegorizers” (Chapman, John. “Dionysius of Alexandria.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 14 Aug. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05011a.htm>.).

Furthermore, notice what Lactantius wrote (late 3rd/early 4th century):

…the dead will rise again, not after a thousand years from their death, but that, when again restored to life, they may reign with God a thousand years. For God will come, that, having cleansed the world from all defilement, He may restore the souls of the righteous to their renewed bodies, and raise them to everlasting blessedness (Lactantius, Book VI, Chapter XXII. Cited in AnteNiceneFathers, Volume 07. Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius, Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions, Homily, p. 213).

The Greco-Roman Bishop & Saint Methodius in the late 3rd or early 4th century taught:

…these things, being like air and phantom shadows, foretell the resurrection and the putting up of our tabernacle that had fallen upon the earth, which at length, in the seventh thousand of years, resuming again immortal, we shall celebrate the great feast of true tabernacles in the new and indissoluble creation , the fruits of the earth having been gathered in, and men no longer begetting and begotten, but God resting from the works of creation…

For since in six days God made the heaven and the earth, and finished the whole world, and rested on the seventh day from all His works which He had made, and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, so by a figure in the seventh month, when the fruits of the earth have been gathered in, we are commanded to keep the feast to the Lord, which signifies that, when this world shall be terminated at the seventh thousand years, when God shall have completed the world, He shall rejoice in us…(Methodius. Banquet of the Ten Virgins (Discourse 9, Chapter 1). Translated by William R. Clark. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/062309.htm>)

The Roman Catholic Bishop Ambrose of Milan (a Catholic/Orthodox saint and “doctor of the Church”) seemed to understand that there was a future rest that corresponded with the seventh day as he wrote:

The seventh trumpet, then, seems to signify the sabbath of the week, which is reckoned not only in days and years and periods (for which reason the number of the jubilee is sacred), but includes also the seventieth year, when the people returned to Jerusalem, who had remained seventy years in captivity. In hundreds also and in thousands the observation of the sacred number is by no means passed over, for not without a meaning did the Lord say: “I have left the seven thousand men, who have not bent their knees before Baal.” Therefore the shadow of the future rest is figured in time in the days, months, and years of this world, and therefore the children of Israel are commanded by Moses, that in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, a rest should be established for all at the “memorial of the trumpets;” and that no servile work should be done, but a sacrifice be offered to God, because that at the end of the week, as it were the sabbath of the world, spiritual and not bodily work is required of us (Ambrose of Milan. Book II. On the Belief in the Resurrection, verse 108).

Jesus will return and will establish His kingdom on the earth.  Many early writers understood that and it is clearly taught in the Bible.

Yet, many misunderstand end time prophecy.   But it is nice that most evangelicals understand that the doctrine of the millennium is correct.

For more details on several of the subjects in the commentary, please check out the following articles:

Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2018 or 2019?
Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Who really is left behind?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.