Angels Blinding and Binding before
the End Times
by Jen Shroder
Permission to repost
at will
Christians have pondered what we call the rapture for centuries,
when Jesus comes for all of His own and we ascend into the skies with
Him. Some Christians believe Jesus will come before the tribulation,
the terrible end times. Some believe He will come after. I asked God
about that because it seemed to me the Bible said Jesus would come for
us before the tribulation, except in Matthew 13:30 puzzled me, Jesus explains to
His disciples the parable of the harvest. That a man came and sowed
seed and while he slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (weeds). When
it was time for the harvest, he told the reapers to first bind
together the
weeds to be burned and then gather the wheat.
At first, this looked like the reapers (angels) first deal with the
weeds (unbelievers), which doesn't fit with our being raptured prior
to the burning/tribulation, but He showed it to me:
Jesus explained to His disciples that the man is the "Son of Man,"
the field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom
and the bad seed are the children of the wicked one. The enemy is the
devil, the harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the
angels.
I asked God why the reapers/angels were FIRST told to bind
together the weeds/sons of satan to be burned. It looked like, according to
this parable, that the burning (tribulation) would come first.
God showed me that the weeds are not burned, they are bound
together "to
be burned." I asked Him, "then how do angels bind them
together?" And He answered,
"by blinding them."
(shock) That verse that always shook me came to my mind:
"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart; that they
should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and
be converted, that I should heal them." John 12:40
I believe the age of grace is about over, indeed, I believe the
angels have been binding together the weeds. LOOK at how America has
polarized! The culture war. The lines are distinctly drawn. Few remain in the gray as conservatives
and liberals rail against each other over social issues. The blindness
of what liberals are doing has long amazed Christians. Both sides
cannot understand the other.
So is God evil that He would bind and blind people from His truth?
Certainly not! For God’s grace and patience have been offered over the
ages as Christians pray for Jesus to come. But there comes a time when
God has said "enough"
"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts
of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this
cause God gave them up into vile affections: for even their women did
change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their
lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly,
and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was
meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they
which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:24 )
(biting lip) umm, has anyone seen the news lately? I know it’s
always been bad, but, my gosh, our world is going insane.
I believe that
President Bush has been given for a witness to
the people, a leader and commander to the people, because he professes his
faith. I know and have heard all the accusations against him, even by
Christians, but I look for the fruit, and the fruit is that the
political climate on the hill has been changed dramatically as we wait
to see what will be decided on many issues. I am hopeful that President Bush
has done as much as he can with what he has been given, but the fate
of our nation is not in his hands. He has been "wise as a serpent and
as innocent as a dove" (Matthew 10:16) but a leader cannot force his people to turn
around. Moses led, the people rebelled, and the consequences were
severe as a whole generation did not make it to the promised land and
died in the wilderness.
"Seek you the LORD while He may be found, call you upon Him
while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
(Isaiah 55)
God has been abundantly pardoning to all that have come for 2,000
years. But you must come. As the angels blind and bind those who shake
their fist at God, it is possibly too late for some. But of that, only
God knows. Today is the day of salvation, seek Him and live while you
can!
***
The Village Voice has pointed at me as a
representative of what Christians believe, and how we believe about
our President Bush. But I am only one Christian. I have never shared these
views with anyone before now, and indeed, hadn’t even looked to find
Scriptures regarding the President until
Rick
Perlstein of Village Voice asked. To say that my views
represent the Christian view would be an honor that does not belong to
me.
If you want to know God, get a Bible, (the book of
John is a great place to start) and ask the Holy Spirit to show you.
Find a church but ALWAYS CHECK what the pastor says with what the
Bible and the Holy Spirit show you. A good pastor would welcome that.
I can't recommend
e-sword enough. They provide free
Bible study software that gives easy access to the Hebrew, Greek and
Aramaic definitions.
May God be with you in these dark times ahead, may
His face shine upon you, and always be comforted as you watch the
news, the Bible describes times like this and says if you know God, do
not fear. God has a plan and a perfect ending. Amen.
