God Knows the Beginning From the End

by Leonard V Johnson

Greetings Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ around the world! This is Leonard V Johnson with the living Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God! We also welcome those listening to our Soundcloud Radio channel- our faithful listeners in Ireland, Germany, Nigeria, and Brazil. Like User 905294483 and Mara! God bless!

Today, we’re going to talk about Bible Prophecy. What is happening today, and what does it mean? The LORD God (the Elohim; the family of God – which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) “declares the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.’” – Isaiah 46:10. The LORD God has revealed our future. The LORD God has revealed your future! As well as the future of all nations, as well as the future of this present evil age. And it’s all in your Holy Bible.

Why do we say your Bible? Here in North America, we read the Holy Bible mostly in the English language. Of course, there were no English Bibles when it was first transcribed. When it was originally written it was written in the Hebrew language, with a smattering of Arabic. However, the New Testament was written in Koine Greek. Greek was the common language of the Middle East at that period of time around ancient Palestine.

There wasn’t any English language at that time. The English language wasn’t developed until around the Mid-5th to 7th centuries AD. In fact, the English language of that time was completely different ── we of this modern era wouldn’t even understand it. But let us always thank our God Most High that we do have a Holy Bible that has been translated into our modern English so that we can properly understand God’s living word! 

The Holy Bible that I mostly read and study from is the New King James Version. It was translated, or rather revised, from the King James Version of 1611.

The English language of 1611 was vastly different from the English of today. As an example, at that time, people would commonly speak of placing their potatoes in hell. That phrase, “putting potatoes in hell,” refers to the practice of storing potatoes in a cellar over winter, which was historically known as “helling potatoes.” At that period, it was a good way of preserving potatoes for the winter months. Just put them in the ground and cover them up. Today, of course, many people continue to store potatoes in a cool, dry location.

Now, this New King James Version contains quite a few mistakes. Every translation does. There isn’t one that doesn’t have some mistranslations or downright inserted passages. But, thank the LORD God Most High that it has only a few mistakes. On the whole, the Authorized Version ── the Old King James Version 1611 is the one that should be your standard. Of course, we should all have several translations for the reading and studying of God’s living word. I have approximately 10 different translations in our office. I have explained this before, and often I will compare one with another. Where one will not be properly translated, and another will be. 

So, when we use the phrase your Bible ── what we mean is the one that you have. When I say that your Bible tells you just what is going to occur, it actually doesn’t make much difference which translation you have ── God’s living word is still revealing to you. Some people are somewhat anal-retentive about what Bible translation they will read or study from ── there are few differences. The differences are quite slight on the whole.

We can arrive at a good understanding of the glorious truth of God’s overall message to all mankind. The revelation to all mankind from the LORD God of basic, elementary, and even essential and important knowledge that we could never learn from any other source. Truly, knowledge that we would never learn from science alone. Of course, science can reveal to you what you are. But it cannot reveal to you why you are ── why you are here on planet Earth. Of course, many continue to teach and believe that the reason why you are here on planet Earth is because ── “the early atmosphere of the Earth was hydrogen-rich, and that the origin of life occurred before the hydrogen was lost, and that such gases sparked, creating life. That life began in the ocean with temperatures that began to fall and the amino-acids, and the proteins and the nucleotides – and how these different chemicals and the different aspects of this old earth – which condensed out of interstellar gas and dust some 4.5 billion years ago – and how they came together to form the earliest stages of life – a kind of organic soup!?” They are desperate to try and explain life without a Creator.  

Wages For Sin ── Death

Just recently, in a write-up I had mentioned ── a great many continue to teach that the Apostle Paul was speaking of a first death ── that, because of sin, men die ── when he wrote under inspiration ── 

“For the wages of sin is death, …” – Romans 6:23. 

However, the Apostle Paul is speaking of the second death. The wages of sin is DEATH. Remember, there was sin before the creation of Adam and Eve. Some angels sinned (2 Peter 2:4). 

DEATH. Notice that it does not say that the wages of sin is eternal life. But, sadly, billions of people worldwide continue to believe that death doesn’t actually mean death. Maybe, when a person is skydiving and jumps out of an airplane, they actually jump up out of the plane? Maybe east is west, and west is east? So, they continue to believe (and a great many continue to teach others) that death doesn’t actually mean death ── they claim that it just simply means a separation from God. Well, if that’s what it means, then the Apostle Paul would have certainly said that. But he didn’t. DEATH IS DEATH. 

Sadly, the majority of our peoples around the world have been hearing a lot of false teachings. God’s living word says ── 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT OF GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23.

This shows us here just how important the LORD God is! Without the LORD God,  a person will die and never live again. “ … the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” NO ONE has this gift until the LORD God grants this gift! Again ── What is God?, Does God Exist? Who and What is God? What does God look like? Why is there God? Why did NASA send out Voyager 1 & 2 back in the 70s? Were they looking for a Creator? Well… according to several sources, Voyager 1 is currently located approximately 15.4 billion miles from Earth and is in interstellar space! It still hasn’t left our solar system! If God is what they are looking for ── they will never find Him this way! No, the LORD God is revealed through the living word of God – the Holy Bible.

Life Has A Purpose!

King David asked the question we all have to the LORD God ──

“What is man that You are mindful of him. …?” – Psalm 8:4; Hebrews 2:6. 

And, it doesn’t matter which translation you have ── it’s there!

WHAT IS MAN THAT GOD IS MINDFUL OF US? Man ── that is approximately 26 light years from the center of the Milky Way galaxy! How truly tiny we are in comparison! 

You know, I’ve only been in a plane once in my whole life. My wife and I flew from Tampa, Florida, to Detroit, Michigan, once. And in that plane, as we were flying to Detroit, we were some 30,000 feet in the air. As the plane lowered below cloud cover,  arriving into Detroit, looking out the window, the automobiles were not much bigger than a pinpoint. Imagine, there could have been at least six people in that particular car. Would I be able to see the driver sitting behind the wheel? No. I could barely even see the car! I wasn’t even able to see people walking on sidewalks. What about the astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS), are they able to see a person walking along on a sidewalk? No. Little, tiny, and insignificant we appear to be. WHY SHOULD GOD BE MINDFUL OF US?

Well… thankfully, the LORD God is mindful of us! The LORD God is mindful of every one of us! He is mindful of you, too! And, you were born for a purpose! There’s another thing ── You Were Born To Be a Ruler! Do you know that?

Sadly, you could have gone to some of the greatest minds there have been ── Albert Einstein, Carl Segan, Stephen Hawking ── and if you had asked them if they could tell you why you were born, what life is for, and what life’s purpose is, and why you are here ── they would not have had a clear answer to these important questions. Because if you don’t know why you’re here, then you don’t know where you’re going. If you don’t know the true purpose of life itself ── your life ── then you have no goal to reach. If you don’t have a goal to reach, then there is nothing that you’re aiming towards.

Another important question: Where do you go when you die? What is going to happen to you when you die? Are you going to be conscious or unconscious? Are you going to Heaven or to Hell? Or, are you going to some other place?

Again, what about asking the American filmmaker, George Lucas? I was watching a documentary about him the other day ── one of thousands! What I discovered is that he is an atheist! Even if he doesn't even know it! He has summed up his denomination as “Methodist Buddist.” Whatever that means! He doesn't know if there is a Creator God! Oh, he believes ── as he stated, in something, but he isn’t sure what it is. So, you certainly can’t ask him why you are here. He doesn’t even know why he is here. He simply doesn’t know.

There have been studies done where scientists have watched people die, and they have watched to see if they could see a person’s “soul” leave their body. They’ve never seen it! There have been studies that have been done named the “21 Grams Experiment.” A study was published in 1907 by Duncan MacDougall, a physician from Haverhill, Massachusetts. MacDougall hypothesized that souls have physical weight. Of course,  there is much criticism over this. 

Well, in fact, it’s very important that you properly know these things. Such as ── where are you going upon death? Something is going to happen ── but what? Do we just live and then die ── after having spent on average 613,200 hours alive? 

 Revealed Prophecies

Alright, what is going to occur? God’s living word foretells what is going to happen. The Book of Revelation primarily speaks concerning end-time prophecies. Truly beginning with prophecies foretold all the way back in the inspired writings of the Prophet Moses and that of the Prophet Isaiah ── and even those of the Prophet Malachi. Of course, the prophecies of our Lord Jesus Christ, and those of the Apostle Paul, and others. 

The Book of Revelation doesn’t mention all prophecies, but some prophecies match exactly what our Lord Jesus foretold would occur. 

Much of the Book of Revelation speaks in symbols and metaphorically. Symbols can be likened to parables ── parables are an illustration of an occurrence that happened that represents something else. Symbols are normally a thing that represents something else. And truly, God’s living word actually interprets itself. Notice, as an example, we see our Lord Jesus Christ ── having in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. The seven stars was in the midst of seven golden candlesticks. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself interprets what this is in the last verse.  

Of course, the LORD God’s prophecies need interpretation. But NO MAN SHOULD BE INTERPRETING IT! 

“knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.”  – 2 Peter 1:20.

Again, God’s living word interprets itself. It’s interpreted by other Scriptures ── not by any private interpretations. 

Here is the Scripture that interprets the meaning of the seven stars in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks ──

“’ The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.’” – Revelation 1:20. 

Absolutely glorious! There it is ── stars can mean angels.

Notice Revelation 6:13 ── “And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ truly gave us the true interpretation of this verse. Stars. The angels of the atmosphere (which would be Satan the devil and his demons) fell to earth just before the glorious and powerful return of our Lord Jesus! 

Notice the 4th chapter of the Book of Revelation. The Apostle John, in Spirit, is given a vision of heaven ── which would be low Earth orbit. A door standing open. And he writes down all that he sees in these visions. Now, he wasn’t in low Earth orbit ── he was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ 

In chapters 4 and 5, around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones were twenty-four elders. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. Now, God the Father ── as we are told in chapter 1 ── had the revelation of these prophecies, which He gave to His Son to show His servants things which must shortly take place. And our Lord Jesus Christ alone is worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

“’ You are worthy to take the scroll [a Book of end-time events], And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’” – Revelation 5:9. 

And then, our Lord Jesus begins opening the seals. 

So, our Lord and Savior is the REVELATOR. He is revealing to His faithful servants things which must shortly take place. 

Notice the 6th chapter. Again, symbols. Still in visions that the Apostle Paul was seeing in the Spirit. In vision, he sees our Lord Jesus (the Lamb) opening the seven seals one by one.

The FIRST SEAL ── “behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” – Revelation 6:2.

The SECOND SEAL ── “Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.” – Revelation 6:4.

The THIRD SEAL ── “and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.” – Revelation 6:5. 

The FOURTH SEAL ── “and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death and Hades followed with him.” – Revelation 6:8. 

These are often called “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

What are they, and how are you going to understand them? Well, it is like a parable, isn’t it? Our Lord Jesus would speak in parables, and at times, even the disciples didn’t understand.

The disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And His answer, “’ Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom [from] heaven, but to them it has not been given.’” – Matthew 13:10-11. 

So, He begins explaining the parables to them in plain language. 

Since our Lord Jesus Christ IS THE REVEALER ── He is going to be the one who is doing the revealing ── and He certainly does explain these symbols to us in plain language. 

He speaks of these same four seals when our Lord Jesus’ disciples came to Him privately and asked a two-part question, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” – Matthew 24:3. 

The Apostles Matthew, Mark, and Luke all speak of it. Notice Matthew 24. 

Here we see the same identical things mentioned. 

The FIRST SEAL ── “’ Take heed that no one deceives you. 5) For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’” – Matthew 24:4-5.

In other words, false ministers and false prophets will come to you in the name of Christ, and they will claim to be “ministers of Christ,” but will deceive you. They take His name and authority as far as they can use it, yet they are deceiving people. 

 There Will Be Great Tribulation 

His very next recorded words, “’ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.’” – Matthew 24:6. So, all of these wars and the rumors of wars would not be the end. And, this present evil age has had wars and rumors of wars since our Lord Jesus Christ was here ── and, of course, even before.

The SECOND SEAL ── “’ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.’” – Matthew 24:7.

And since this is an end-time prophecy ── He is speaking of an end-time WORLD WAR! 

The THIRD SEAL ── “’ … And there will be famines, …’” – Matthew 2:7. 

The FOURTH SEAL ── “’ … pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.’” – Matthew 24:7.

“’ All these are the beginning of sorrows.’” – Matthew 24:8. 

In verse 9, He begins by using the word then. The word then indicates a previous time. In other words, then, after all He previously spoke of. 

“’ Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.’” – Matthew 24:9. 

We believe and teach that He is primarily speaking here of the end time prophets, which there is a high probability of being twelve in all (there were twelve apostles in the beginning of this “Church Age,” we believe and teach there will probably be twelve end time prophets at the end of the “Church Age,” although God’s living word does not directly say) ending with the Two Witnesses. 

“’ And then many will be offended [by these end-time prophets], and will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11) Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.’” – Matthew 24:10-11. 

These false prophets will come to you in the name of Christ. And one prestigious and mighty popular vicar of Christ will even be saying that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:11-14). They will come to you professing Christianity, and yet deceive many.

These end-time prophets, for 3½ years, will be proclaiming to all the world the gospel of the kingdom as a witness to all the nations, “’ and then the end will come.’” – Matthew 24:14.

The end and utter destruction of JERUSALEM. 

“’ THEREFORE when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place.’ (whoever reads, let him understand)” – Matthew 24:15. See Daniel 11:29-32.

“’ THEN let those who are in JUDEA flee to the mountains. … 21) 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 24:16, 21. 

And how destructive will it be to those who are in JUDEA? 

“’ And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.’” – Matthew 24:22; see also Daniel 12:1. 

Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ ── in a few articles ago, I wrote of the massive destructive force many nations of this present evil age have. Nuclear ── Greatest Threat. Great troubles are coming upon the Earth ── and we are in the time that our Lord Jesus has called “the beginning of sorrows.” Of course, this isn’t what He has called “great tribulation” – or rather, great troubles. It’s going to get far worse than anything we could ever imagine ── including, in all likelihood, nuclear weapons. THINK OF IT! THIS IS WHAT OUR LORD JESUS SAID WOULD OCCUR! □