Join me this evening at 5 pm central on YouTube for the introductory lecture to the “Examining The Christian Faith” series, Introduction To The Power of Ideas. In this lecture, we will examine what it means to say one believes in something, such as ideas or religions. We will begin by looking at the concept of interpretation and that of traditionalism and progressivism.
From there, we will see how our perception changes how we interpret ideas and reality and how, in a reciprocal manner, ideas can shape our perception. This will be examined through the work of Iain Mcgilchrist’s dual hemisphere perception.
Following this examination, we will then go on to investigate some of the popular ideas that have influenced modern culture from the works of figures such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, and, of course, Jesus Christ and the apostles. We also take a look at what type of influence their ideas had on society and culture, whether positive or negative.
Did God condone rape in the Old Testament? Those opposed to the Bible and the belief therein are quick to point out Deuteronomy 22:28 where many believe that it suggests rape to be no issue. But how true is this, exactly?
Is the act of sin strictly a transgression of the commandments of God? Or is it something more complex to be examined and valued? Sin in both Hebrew and Greek mean to deviate from the way, or better put, the proper mode of being that constitutes and leads to a more qualitative life.
The way is a balanced path between the dichotic manifestation of chaos and order in our life. And through the process of properly orienting ourselves towards an ideal mode of being, along with a sense of adaptability, we can help safeguard ourselves from deviating too much into one or the other extremes.
The dogmatic implications of Christianity beginning around 400 AD have set up a system of faith that is predicated upon increased stimulation, attendance, and oversimplification, among other things. This has dampened the overall influence of the church, and it has repelled many who have sought out to know the truth over a desire for comfort. We must un-dogmatize while teaching at deeper levels of analysis before we can increase the Church’s influence.
The Great Tribulation- a term often used interchangeably with the seven years of Daniel, that some believe is initiated by the erection of the Abomination of Desolation. But what is this period of time, exactly? Is it a time of turmoil wherein a horned antichrist exalts himself to a place of world power and dominance, and where nations and cities are filled with filth and darkness? Most pastors and Christians alike are quick to jump to conclusions, representing an excellent use of left-hemisphere model projection. But what evidence is there scripturally and carnally that helps shed light on this issue?
Time Frame
In order to understand the Great Tribulation period, one must first examine the time frame in which the events are to occur. As mentioned previously, the seven years of Daniel are often used interchangeably with that of the Great Tribulation. And while they are conjoining events, they are separated by significant occurrences: one being that of the global peace treaty that initiates the seven years of Daniel, and the other being the Abomination of Desolation.
““And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
Daniel 12:11 NKJV
Christ Himself went on the clarify this distinguishing occurrence of events in Matthew 24:
““Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
Matthew 24:15, 21 NKJV
This significant divider is what separates the seven years of Daniel from the Great Tribulation. Not that the events do not occur in conjunction, but rather that the initiation of the seven years of Daniel takes place first followed by the initiation of the Great Tribulation transpiring at the mid-way point of the seven years, and thus bringing the timespan of the tribulation to a total of 1,290 days, or three and a half years. The erection of the Abomination of Desolation is also accompanied by the revealing of the Antichrist himself, too. The end of both the seven years of Daniel and the Great Tribulation period mark the end of days, and the second coming of Christ and the rapture event.
Hell On Earth?
Again, most pastors and Christians alike believe the Great Tribulation period to be a hostile and malevolent environment that is filled with wickedness. And although they would be correct, they are correct only in part. The environment will indeed be hostile and malevolent, but only to those that have not integrated themselves into the new world system.
This new world system that will emerge, or is emerging already, is not and will not be what most have formulated within their minds-that is an malevolent and reprehensible enterprise led by a horned man-beast. The more likely scenario to transpire is a well to do, polite society that is all inclusive and diverse, according to the elite’s idea of what constitutes inclusivity and diversity, of course.
““Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.”
Daniel 7:23 NKJV
Smart cities will be a part of the layout of inhabits that have submitted themselves to this new social, global construct with chip implants and a cashless transactor set up throughout these dwellings. Entrance in and out of places of interest will require the wave of a hand or iris scan for identification verification. Anyone that has not been integrated into the new system by obtaining a digital identity will be barred from any and all amenities with some being forced into reeducation facilities, depending on the amount of resistance from the individual that is detained, to help reintegrate and assimilate them back into the new, polite societal system. Electric, autonomous vehicles will carry passengers from location to location as “clean energy” is the grids primary source of power. Many others will either choose to walk or bike to their desired location of interest, or they will take public transportation that, of course, will be driven by autonomous, electric power.
As mentioned before, the system will bar those that do not adhere and accept this new system through the process of receiving a digital identification number and chip implant. Although, this discriminatory segregation will not only be for those that are not willing to accept, but will also be for those that do accept. A social credit score will be administered to all that receive a digital identification number and chip implant, and thereby those adherents will be monitored on all occasions wether it be at the office, bar, home, or elsewhere. And if, by any chance of a discrepancy were to occur, say that someone complains about the new system, or even simpler, exhibits any signs of defect such as smoking cigarettes, their social credit score will begin to decline which bars them from several amenities, even though they are integrated. And in some cases, these individuals will either be required to take a re-education course for proper training and integration purposes, or in severe cases, they will be shipped off to re-education camps where they will be completely retrained to fit back into the new polite system. And to say this sounds like science fiction, and of course it does, just take a look at modern day China for an example as to what is to come.
“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
Revelation 13:16-17 NKJV
This new global system will appear attractive to many, and in some cases already observed as it is currently occurring with WorldCoin where millions are lining up without a second thought to get their iris’s scanned to obtain a digital ID and free digital currency, the acceptance factor is only to grow from here, especially among the younger generations. And not only will it appear attractive, but if you are one to say it is not, the ways of attraction of those kind will be accomplished through monetary attraction.
For those with a bit of reluctance to accept this new system, the need for food, water and shelter will be the device of attraction that will lure them in. Since all will be barred from the essential amenities necessary for survival that do not adhere and accept, over time, not much I might add, will be necessary for the hungry to make their way in a beggar-like manner to accept and assimilate themselves and their families into this new system. In other words, other the strongest of faith and most equipped to survive outside the system will prevail.
Peace, Safety, and The Second Coming of Christ
A new global system that promotes diversity and inclusion; a place of peace and safety. That is the goal that is currently being promoted by both the UN and World Economic Forum. And according to their new global treaty that they are presenting in September, the next seven years are focused on exactly that: Peace and Security.
“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”
I Thessalonians 5:3 NKJV
Could this be the treaty that initiates the 7 years of Daniel? Perhaps, but only time will reveal. If it is, one might ask, according to Paul, “does this imply that the next seven years will be followed by destruction and chaos, and thus contradicting your entire layout that you just presented?” No. The declaration of peace and safety that is followed by sudden destruction is in relation to the second coming of Christ, which takes place after the tribulation period and is in conjunction with the rapture of the church (for more information on the post-tribulation rapture click HERE).
Conclusion
The distinction between the conjoining events of the seven years of Daniel and the Great Tribulation are of crucial importance for the Christian. As was observed here, the seven years is initiated through a global peace treaty, perhaps even that which is soon to be implemented by the UN and WEF. And the Great Tribulation period is that which transpires at the mid point of the seven years of Daniel-that is the latter three and a half years of the last days. What then should we be searching for in regards to the Great Tribulation? The current formation and emerges of the systemized global order, and the integration of smart technology into this system is the proper starting point. From there, we must be sober to the emerging details embedded within this new global system that include the implementation of digital identification and chip implant requirements that may soon be here. We must strengthen ourselves in the faith, and prepare for what is to come through emergency preparation needs and spiritually. The fight will by no means be subtle, but rather we must be strong physically, psychologically, and spiritually in hopes that we may protect the church during these coming times. This from Peter is what is left for all that read this:
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
II Peter 3:10-13 NKJV
-Michael Thacker
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Love is dual natured, which means that within the conception of love there is both a compassionate and judgmental nature present. Christ Himself is depicted as being both as gentle as a lamb and a divine judge. We too are called to exhibit this dual natured aspect of love by being compassionate towards one another while at the same time encouraging each other to ascend towards the higher calling of God in our life.
What have we lost in the modern day church that our ancestors exceeded at? The process of transformation/ascension.
Time and time again we find the notion of transformation being exhorted within the New Testament, from the teachings of Christ through the latter books of the apostles. And yet, the modern day church has failed to exhibit any qualitative traits of transformation except at the most fundamental level. Why? First, because we have misinterpreted what constitutes the process of transformation. And secondly, due to the unwillingness of modern humanity to embark on adventure in exchange for complacency.
Our modern way of being promotes the idea of acceptance, not only at one’s initiation into the faith, but though one’s entirety as well. Secular society has heavily influenced the church today with the promotion of birth, work, retirement, and then death. But this is not what Christ and the apostles proclaimed. Their proclamation was one of initial acceptance into the faith followed by a lifelong process of inward and outward transformation; a process of ascending to greater heights from the foundation of which Christ laid for us.
Most fellow Christians believe they have been transformed, and perhaps that is so. But for the most that make this claim, their idea of transformation is fundamental at best. What’s of most interest is the fact that the same Greek word used to describe the transfiguration of Christ, “metamorphoō,” is the same word used to describe the transformation of His followers, too. It is a process of both a spiritual and physical transformation and illumination.
To help clarify this process a bit more, we must first understand the nature of Christ in which we are to mimic and exhibit within our lives. First, Christ was a great intellectual of His time, which means that He possessed and exhibited adequate knowledge and wisdom. This is not to say that we are all to be genius so to speak, but it does mean that we should all be challenging our current bounds of acquired knowledge by studying complex and thought provoking material from various disciplines. And it is through this form of challenging studies that we not only acquire greater knowledge and understanding, but are transformed in due process as well.
Second, Christ is a divine warrior that is set to return to slay the wicked, which means, as Paul puts it so well in his second letter Timothy, we are to be and act like warriors, too. We are called to be strong, courageous, and be able to protect, which all implies the necessity of both spiritual and physical strength. Much of the church today exhibits little to no strength or perceived fitness of any sort with a national average of overweight individuals making up 80% of the population. And how does this reflect a strong church that cherishes and properly maintains their bodily temples? It does not at all. And thus, how can one say they are transformed while neglecting the body in which God supplies them with?
This short, simple message is a wake up call for the church and the individuals within to call upon the Lord for transformation, and to ascend to another level in their life. Are you ready for change? Are you ready to ascend to the higher calling of God in your life?
Join Steve Wise and I on both YouTube and Facebook this evening at 7:30 pm central for this week’s episode of The Thought Provoking Hour Show. This week, we will begin the show by scouring through the latest news related to the end times, followed by an in-depth conversation on the mysterious paradox surrounding the Holy Trinity. Hope you can join and God bless.
Throughout the years of my ministry work, I have been both encouraged and ridiculed. The latter is generally directed towards my pursuit, I would say, of the deeper things of God, of which my critics have made the proclamation and recommendation that I go to deep with my research and teachings, and that I should pursue a more generalized approach to ministry that appeases the masses.
Moreover, they also advise me to centralize solely upon that of scripture, all while leaving the sciences and philosophy far behind. And yet, how deep and profound is the God we worship? Is not this narrowed perception that which is playing a part in the departure of the younger generation?
What my critics are missing, I suppose, is that the body of Christ is diversed, not only among the backgrounds and ethnicity, but also in talents and their utilization thereof. In the words of the apostle Paul, we are not all called to be a hand or foot in the body, but rather all have unique areas of calling that is tailored to a particular ability that connects with a particular group of people; each part of the body contributing to the whole.
This concept of generalizing the call of God within the body that is proposed by my critics is both narrow in scope and unscriptural. The key to overcoming this certain perception is to first attain a better understanding of scripture, and then pray that God set within you a greater sense of empathy.
When we encounter a specific niche of ministry that is foreign to our current understanding, it is best to analyze the situation, and then pray for a better perception of what is transpiring. A rash conclusion based off your current knowledge structure is often times inaccurate, as well as a form of spiritual immaturity.
Michael Thacker 