The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Animals Know It And People Know It

Guitar String Snapped

[Note: Our guest author is Don McGee, an evangelist formerly with Crown & Sickle Ministries and frequent guest on our ministry’s television program, Christ in Prophecy. This devotional is from Don’s newest writing series, “Oh, One More Thing…”]

A Sense of Foreboding

In some circles there is substantial debate regarding the ability of animals to sense coming disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms. Though some have seen what they call clear evidence of this, it is not easy to prove because it is very difficult to conduct controlled tests that combine natural disasters and atypical behavior in livestock, wildlife, or pets prior to a special event.

Humans, however, are at times definitely able to sense impending anomalies. It may be that anxiety sometimes allows for a heightened sense of perception as is the case when a person enters a dangerous situation. It could also be the result of experience. Some call it premonition, others call it instinct, and still others describe it as the voice that speaks without using words.

What is interesting, though, is that it happens. And, it is not only happening world-wide right now, but the tension surrounding it is without doubt deepening. It seems to be like an increasing tautness in a guitar string that is being tightened beyond its limits.

A few days ago a man said to my wife and me during a discussion of the Wuhan Virus situation that the people with whom he works are becoming more tense and irritable these days. They want answers for the fear and anxiety they have, and at times they cannot even put it all into words.

He has told them what is going on from the spiritual perspective, but nobody wants to hear that. In fact, they become angry and impulsive when they hear what God has said about the way life would be in the season of Jesus’ return for His church. So now he simply remains silent.

Being silent in such a situation seems to be what Jesus meant about shaking the dust off your shoes and not casting your pearls before hogs.

Eight years ago the matter of people sensing some kind of foreboding event that seems to be imminent was addressed in the closing words of the CSM Newsletter of April 2012 regarding the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of Titanic. In the years since then, people’s general uneasiness regarding the approach of such a calamitous event has not diminished. In fact, it has increased substantially.

The Christian Response

There have been plateaus where the voice with no words has been suppressed by pleasant events, yet anxiety has been ever-present. It seems that in the dark and quiet of the night even some Christians feel the heavy presence of a dark pall being drawn over their souls. They often become fearful and anxious and are thus robbed of peace and restful sleep.

This is unfortunate because this should not be the case for Christians. We not only have the promise that the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4), but Christians also have both peace with God (Romans 5:1) and the peace of God (Phil 4:7). The difference between the two is vast and a subject for another time.

A Cumulative Effect

The issue addressed today is the fact that people seem to know something is imminent, and they seem to know that whatever it is, it is not good. And, this is causing them to become increasingly nervous and often bad-tempered.

Don McGee: People seem to know something is imminent, and they seem to know that whatever it is, it is not good. And, this is causing them to become increasingly nervous and often bad-tempered. Click To Tweet

It’s more than simply the Wuhan virus pandemic, ISIS, the growing economic power China has over the U.S., the resurgence of militant Russia, political and social hatred, the U.S. government’s increasing suppression of the Constitution, and the list could go on. These things are having a cumulative effect upon people that is troubling.

I haven’t done the work needed to measure such an anxiety curve, and I don’t sense that such a curve is necessarily exponential. But, this I do know, what we are seeing is much more than a herd of cattle bunching up prior to a thunderstorm!

What God Is Showing

God is using this situation to show the world — including the U.S. — that He does have a point at which He will remove His hand from human affairs. To be blunt, God is showing us clearly that He is not beyond allowing our beloved country to be touched where it hurts.

Don McGee: #God is using this situation to show the world that He does have a point at which He will remove His hand from human affairs. He is not beyond allowing our beloved country to be touched where it hurts. Click To Tweet

The oligarchal leadership that ramped up in the days of FDR’s administration was rooted in materialism, political power, and control over people and their lives, estrangement from God, and hyper-pride in self. Our country has since delighted in this self-destructive dance away from God; it could be that now, however, the piper must be paid.

What the majority in our country cannot bring themselves to understand is that it is actually these things — including, of course, the Chinese Virus — that has gotten us into this most unstable and unsustainable situation. And, because we choose to not accept this truth, there is, therefore, no massive public outcry for a change in the moral direction of our leadership and of our people.

When the Cold War allegedly ended in the early 1990s, some people thought that finally, our country would be in a position of relative security. Well, that kind of thinking didn’t last long. It was was shot-through with rising Islamicism, its attack on 9-11, and the soaring national debt fueled by the drive toward socialism. Further, no nation that is so totally immersed in the cesspool of depravity — as is ours — is actually secure from any threat; especially threats that exploit a nation’s godless collective choices.

People fear something is coming but they don’t know what. That should not surprise anyone because a society that does not really believe in God naturally does not believe God; thus there is no remorse for its sins. Basically, it does not identify what is happening as His call to repentance.

Don McGee: A society that does not really believe in #God naturally does not believe God; thus there is no remorse for its sins. Click To Tweet

The general sense of people’s fear of the unknown has never really gone away. It has always been alive and well like a dormant pathogen lurking under the thin façade of narcissism, materialism and hedonism.

Nationally, we refuse to repent for our judicially-enforced, sewer-level moral depravity. We choose, rather, to not only further estrange ourselves from God but to contemptuously throw our horrendous sins in His face.

The Judgment Principle

Our arrogance has caused us to laugh in the face of God even as He issues graphic warnings regarding the consequences of our sin. The following is the warning God sent to Judah and Jerusalem through the prophet Isaiah 2,700 years ago.

These words from Isaiah 2:11-22 were for the immediate application to God’s own people. It is, however, very clear that the judgment principle contained therein applies to the entire world, including our beloved country. Note carefully some of the terms used.

11 The pride of mankind will be humbled,
and human loftiness will be brought low;
the LORD alone will be exalted on that day.
12 For a day belonging to the LORD of Armies is coming
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up — it will be humbled —
13 against all the cedars of Lebanon,
lofty and lifted up,
against all the oaks of Bashan,
14 against all the high mountains,
against all the lofty hills,
15 against every high tower,
against every fortified wall,
16 against every ship of Tarshish,
and against every splendid sea vessel.
17 The pride of mankind will be brought low,
and human loftiness will be humbled;
the LORD alone will be exalted on that day.
18 The worthless idols will vanish completely.
19 People will go into caves in the rocks
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the LORD
and from his majestic splendor,
when he rises to terrify the earth.
20 On that day people will throw
their worthless idols of silver and gold,
which they made to worship,
to the moles and the bats.
21 They will go into the caves of the rocks
and the crevices in the cliffs,
away from the terror of the LORD
and from his majestic splendor,
when he rises to terrify the earth.
22 Put no more trust in a mere human,
who has only the breath in his nostrils.
What is he really worth?
(CSB)

So judgment came to God’s beloved people for their sin just as the prophet foretold.

Hiding from something by going into holes, caves, crevices…? Does this remind you of anything?

Perhaps the impending doom that is being sensed by so many people today is similar to that which the citizens of Judah might have felt just before everything came apart all those centuries ago. Superficial things are somewhat different now, but as was said above, even today we have our own kind of caves and holes into which we have retreated.

The Imminent Rapture

Yes, people with any degree of discernment, even some of those who know nothing about God and what He has said, seem to believe that something is about to happen; just as animals sometimes know.

To most people the “something” is unknown. But, Christians know exactly where this is going. This is about the imminent removal of the Church at what is commonly referred to as the Rapture. The day cannot be known, but the season seems to be obvious.

Don McGee: #Christians know exactly where this is going. This is about the imminent removal of the #Church at what is commonly referred to as the #Rapture. #Coronavirus Click To Tweet

Christians also know that our population’s current uneasiness points to the fact that we may see very troubling times even prior to the removal of the Church. Troubling times that might be far worse than the Wuhan Virus pandemic.

All unbelievers, from elitist social-climbers to uncouth brutes, laugh and mock at such a thought as they presently hunker down in their holes and caves. It is true that some holes and caves are rustic while others are equipped with $24,000 refrigerators filled with expensive ice cream, but in their sin and rejection of the truth the people therein are all the same.

If a catastrophic event happens, basic commodities will suddenly become much more valuable than money and expensive toys. Been seeing anything lately about restrictions on food purchases? Tried to order food from survival food companies? Heard anything about meat processing plants reducing output? I wonder — has Spam ever been hoarded?

Living in a mansion that quickly becomes hot, humid, and dirty with the only freshwater being that in a toilet tank will shake an elitist to the core. Further, armed thugs who come knocking will do what they want with their victims and with their victim’s possessions.

Since many such potential victims are too refined and socially correct to have a weapon they know how to use, I suppose they will simply have to fall on their faces begging for mercy, which will not be forthcoming. Or, perhaps they will show the thugs their credentials and official pedigrees. I’m sure that will protect them.

It should be our prayer that something like this will not be required to bring our country to her knees in repentance, but we have no guarantee that it won’t. Then again, we have no guarantee that such an event will even be successful in bringing us to repentance.

We know that the Church will not go through any aspect of the Tribulation, but we don’t know if we will experience tribulation in our country prior to the Rapture. Christians in other countries are certainly experiencing it.

But, there is one thing that is for certain: there will be horrific tribulation in this country post-Rapture.

I wonder what people might do with something like a 9.0 earthquake that is concurrent with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of multitudes. No electricity, no highways, no airports, no fuel pipelines, no police and fire protection, no weapons, no hired help that has weapons, no civil authority, no water.

This will not be a pleasant time for those left behind. Comparatively speaking, the Wuhan Virus situation is a walk in the park. People will see a depth of horror that is unprecedented in the history of humanity with multitudes not only suffering and dying terrible deaths but losing their souls in the process.

Why must it happen this way? Because when humanity dismisses God, He does its bidding. That is, He takes His people and leaves.

I didn’t know this pastor personally, but Adrian Rogers once said to the effect, “Rejoice, Church, the world is rapidly becoming gloriously dark!”

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ABOUT AUTHOR View all posts Author Website

Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

9 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • Mr. McGee, Dr. Reagan and Mr Jones, with much respect I humbly ask for your attention.
    If your minds are closed to even consider proofs for a pre-Wrath Rapture, read no further.
    But if you have 7 minutes to spare which might change your and your flocks’ lives, please watch this video–
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUIwVEWQFG0
    Nelson Walters has written several books and has created many videos offering detailed proofs of pre-Wrath and detailed rebuttals of the more popular timing theories. In 2017 he mailed 1000 copies of his book “Rapture: Case Closed?” to prominent ministries adhering to other timing theories (mostly imminency/pre-Trib) and received zero responses. So much for open minds!
    Even though we are not appointed to wrath (the 7th year of the “Trib”), we will suffer for His Name’s sake. The Rapture cannot occur before the Man of Lawlessness is revealed (with his image in the 3rd Temple) and the great falling away takes place (people will take the Mark instead of being beheaded), both of which will happen at the mid-point of the 7 year “Trib”.
    Maranatha!

    • But, isn’t it Jesus Himself who breaks the seals that launch each of the Revelation 6 seal judgments which occur at the beginning of the Tribulation? Also, the seven angels who blow the trumpets that initiate each of the trumpet judgments are given their trumpets at the throne of God (Revelation 8:2). And, Revelation 15:1 states that the bowl judgments at the end of the Tribulation finish the wrath of God, not begin His wrath.

      The Pre-Wrath Rapture view then has it right when it says the Church will be removed before God’s wrath is released on the world for its continued rebellion against Him, but it doesn’t get it right that the wrath of the whole Tribulation comes from God from the very beginning. Jesus opening the seals from the very first one proves that all the Tribulation judgments are from God.

      Being a Christian does mean having to endure suffering and trials at the hand of man (Jn. 16:33; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thes. 3:3; 1 Pet. 4:12-13). But, the Tribulation like the Flood is about God’s wrath (Isa. 24:22; Zeph. 3:8; 1 Thes. 5:3; 2 Thes. 2:12), and believers in Christ are promised to be exempt from God’s wrath (1 Thes. 1:10; 5:9; Rom. 5:9; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:4; Rev. 3:10). There’s an important difference there.

      Dr. Reagan’s article at http://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-pre-wrath-rapture/ goes into great detail about the Pre-Wrath Rapture view.

      • I was watching Christ In Prophecy this morning and you were reviewing Dr. Reagans new book about the rapture. It alwas very good and I think the three of you nailed it for the scriptural proof of a pre tribulation rapture! However I think David might have been wrong about the statement that only the children of believers will be raptured out before the tribulation. I have always been taught that there is an age of accountability that God does not hold sin against you until you are old enough to grasp the concept of right and wrong., if this is true then God will not cause children to suffer because of the unbelief of their parents. If there is a scripture that supports Dr. Reagans point of view please enlighten me. This is not a major point perhaps, but it just sort of bothered me. Keep up the great work you are doing for the rapture and the return of Jesus is very, very close at hand.

  • Nathan, I’ve written you a few times. I see some things different than you and David, but I ask God’s blessing on you both. I see the role He has for good men like you.

    So many things to say, so little of your attention span?

    This virus is not a judgement. On the contrary, it’s fully supplied by the enemy of God. But God knew it and is using it to prepare us for next Spring. The virus will force the USA to pull in even further on trading and become even more self-sufficient. As much as you can’t see it, America is the Wilderness that will protect all the persecuted for 1,260 days. God’s been preparing this country for that mission since July 4, 1776.

    If it were up to me, I would have obliterated her years ago when she embraced slavery, or massacred native Indians, or welcomed homosexuality and on and on and on. But just like Rom 3:25 indicates, God has “passed over the sins previously committed”. He’s tolerated the USA for over 200 years. He tolerated Israel for 490 years before He executed His plan with them. We won’t have to wait that long.

    Your mind is focused on the sins issue. I understand. With that focus, your conclusions about what’s happening are right on. But it’s not primarily about sin. It never has been. It’s about the same thing God desired over and over with Israel – “come back to Me”. The prodigal son.

    Paul indicates that in our federal head Adam, all died (spiritually) and in the second Adam, all are made alive (born again). Sin was never the blocking issue from God’s point of view. The issue is that since there remains no sin debt, will any man return to God? Were not ten healed Jesus asked? As you know, at the end of the Millennium, the lost are resurrected and sent to the “second death”. God doesn’t kill them, He banishes them from His presence = spiritual death. How can they endure a second death if they had not been resurrected from the first spiritual death we inherited in Adam?

    Think how many times we read Jesus proclaiming “come to me”? There it is. Come to me. If you can begin to grasp this child like truth, I have so much more to show you, almost none of which can be published at this time. It must be held in confidence, exactly as God desires. God is using all of our 2,000 year old misconceptions and twisted theology to put us precisely in the position He desires for us which primes the pump for the last seven years.

    You and David, like a few others, are in a position to pre-place assets for day one after the rapture. Would you please consider letting me write or speak or meet with you to more fully explain?

    I wish you both well. I wish you God’s speed. I ask God’s blessing on your lives.

    Steve Tipton

    • Steve, Lamb & Lion Ministries tries to always bring the message of God’s judgment back to repentance and reconciliation. You’ll have to back your claim up scripturally that America has a role of protection during the Tribulation if all the nations are supposed to be against Israel (Zech. 12 & 14). Thank you for your encouraging words as well.

  • We need to be careful casting out judgements and even hoping for others to suffer. We want nothing to do with judgment and nothing to do with this worlds politics. Pray for all your brothers and sisters to be given a chance. Leave the judgement to Lord. Placing titles on people and generalizing is not healthy or productive. God bless and protect you.

  • Excellent article Mr. Jones! You echo my thoughts.
    God has just about had it with America’s sins and the world’s sins. Just think about the horrific things that happen everyday from the hands of mankind. Evil is being done by our hands, not the innocent animals. Animals are better than we are! We are made in the image of God and just look at the headlines everyday… just look at what we do! It makes me want to crawl in a hole somewhere and hide. But you’re so right…people don’t want to hear about God and where all this is headed and why. Even a lot of Christians don’t want to talk about the Rapture. Or, the Rapture seems, perhaps, too unreal for them to even imagine that it would actually happen.
    God Bless You… Keep looking up!

  • ever since there were two of mankind rubbing elbows toiling on the same real estate, there has been such deception and dispute as I read today. August of 2020! I say, that your words out of your mouth should match up hand in hand with Scripture, or keep your mouth shut. It is too late in what we call “Time” to be so naive or secular, the Bibles wheels are burning on the road as we speak, it is time to be sober and discerning. I have joyfully anticipated ‘the rapture’ for nearly 50 years now, and truthfully – have grown tired and weary from the anxiety of wanting to be brought out of this cursed Life to Glory. The evangelist are making ‘us’ worst out here constantly saying “any second, it could happen before we even finish this program”. Yes, the rapture is eminent – but please, consider that you are making a lot of us miserable with your flippant circus barking about it. I truly wish that the Apostle Paul could write a letter to me of comfort and patience …….decades of years truly ‘believing’ have taxed me dearly. Yes the UFO proclamation is a lie, they are demonic ‘beings’ not aliens from another world. Tis the great deception that out LORD spoke to, and will drag many into God’s Wrath – the 7 years of Jacob’s Troubles empowered by the antichrist. God made the Gospel just too simple for the secular world to grasp. The Time has come for Truth or Consequence – and the sadness of that is most of mankind by free will, will not ‘choose well’ . The Cross or the boss.

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