God’s End Time Scenario
The Sword project in IMAC has located 1420 appearances of the word “if1” in scripture. This is not perhaps an all inclusive list of its use; but, It is an impressive indication of how many times it occurs in the Word of God and of the importance of its usage.
In the case of the commands or orders of The Lord God, He gives promises to men using the conditional “if.” God says, “If you will respond in such a manner, I have made certain promises of gifts or blessings that will follow. If you do not respond in the proper manner this other (curse) come on you.”
God has always and has never failed to deal with His creatures (esp. mankind) with grace (unmerited favor).
In the event a thing is done in ignorance and is not intentional there is a principle in scripture called redemption whereby the creature can be reconciled to God. The ultimate expression of that principle is God’s once for all offering of His Son on the cross (Romans 8: 32).2 There are certain conditions by which reconciliation may be made between the individual and God, through the sacrifice of the Son. Yet within the conditions of this agreement there is a conditional, the “curse” that might yet come: “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost [Spirit] shall not be forgiven unto men” (Matthew 12:31).
The book of Leviticus is interlaced with a plethora of conditions preceded by “if” whereby the Law of Moses may be transgressed and reconciliation made. Through Temple worship blood offerings are made by the priests to intercede for sinners. Animals were slain and the blood offered on an altar before the “Holy of Holies” (the place where the Spirit of God came down to be among the people) to make reconciliation; the required response to that law.
It would appear when temple worship ended with the destruction of the Temple after the second general diaspora in 70 AD there is no more blood sacrifice that can be effected for remission of sin. Even though God has promised to return Israel to the promised land (Abraham’s Covenant) John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos speaks of a rather novel type of “Temple” worship where God and His Messiah “are the Temple” in the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven (Revelations 21: 22)3.
“Now therefore, [if] ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine”(Exodus 19:5).
Is the Christian exempt from this conditional if? “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “If ye continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).
Moses spoke to the children of Israel, “But if you shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto your enemies, and an adversary unto your adversaries” (Exodus 23:22)
They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me: for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto you” (Exodus 23:33).
The overarching message of the major as well as the minor prophets was, “They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers” (Jeremiah 11:10)
A time has arrived when preceding the return of Messiah Jesus (Joshuah-he that shall save his people) an apostasy (falling away) shall precede the destruction of the world systems, a cleansing of the earth in preparation for Messiah and final judgment will take place on the earth. It will take on the following form:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Your god, O Dan, lives; and, The manner of Beersheba lives; even they shall fall, and never rise up again” (Amos 8: 11-14).
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18)
The vision of Israel has always been the culmination of Abraham’s Covenant:
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid” (Isaiah 29:14).
“I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that does this. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that sows seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God” (Amos 9: 8-15).
The vision of the Christian is to be resurrected, see God’s Mediator/Messiah Jesus come in glory to put down the enemies of God and establish the new heaven, the new earth, the new Jerusalem and rest from their labors in the promises of God.
- if: A conjunction introducing a conditional clause. A condition or supposition that or if the event that a given situation arise a condition is established that will bring a predicted (prophesied) response.
- Jews look upon this as a future event not yet manifested, Christians look upon it as fulfilled in the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and will be fulfilled or sealed by his second coming. Also see, John 12: 40; Romans 11: 7; II Corinthians 3: 14; II Corinthians 4: 4)
- “I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
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